Disclaimer: I don't own. Okay, it took a REALLY long time again. I'm really sorry for that. I keep changing how many chapters I'm going to have. XD One or two more. I think. Probably two… But anyway.. Thank you to everyone who's made my life seem like it had a purpose. (All of you who reviewed. I LOVE YOU ALL! And the second half is better than the first, I think.

And also thanks to Hippie. The person that has never actually read Lord of the Flies, and pictures them all emo, but bugged me every single day to finish this chapter. Thanks for the motivation. XD

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Fury was something Jack was beyond. He couldn't think of a word to describe how he was feeling. A strange mix between anger and worry. It was horrible… this feeling. Jack was sitting next to Ralph, in his cave. The fire was burning, but it was cold. Or maybe the cold was all in Jack's head.

But Ralph was shivering too. He had what was left of Jack's black choir uniform used to stop the blood. It was working. The black material was now a sickening red color. Jack didn't remember blood ever looking like this.

He'd thrown up twice, already and he felt it coming over him again.

He ran outside and behind the cave, to a patch of grass he'd used before. He hardly made it. He realized he was making himself sick. He couldn't keep food down, and now all that was coming out was water. He was only making himself dehydrated.

Jack wiped his mouth and stood up. He got a head rush, and almost passed out. He fell to his hands and knees, bowing his head, eyes opened wide. He blinked, but his eyes were black. He couldn't see. "M-Maurice?" He called out, but by the time the boy got over to him, he could see again.

"My God, Chief." Maurice ran over and tried to help up Jack. He tried pulling him up by the arm, but Jack smacked at him.

"Can you go get me some water? And where's Roger been?"

Maurice frowned slightly. Jack didn't appear to know that it was Roger who cut Ralph… but who was Maurice to tell him? Maurice left Jack to get some coconuts full of water and Jack crawled back to the cave, collapsing next to Ralph.

"Look what you're doing to me." He groaned, holding his stomach. He was starving, but he couldn't keep anything down. "Get better, you bastard. I don't want my tribe to see me like this."

It could have been deliria setting in, but he thought he saw Ralph smile.

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Sam and Bill had found Eric. Whether he was alive or not, was anyone's guess, except Sam's. Sam swore he was alive. "He's still warm. He's still breathing. Bill, help me make a stretcher." Sam had a pile of clothes with him, what was left of his and Eric's shirt. He knew when Eric didn't come back, and when they found Ralph that Eric must be out there, hurt too.

He cleaned the wounds as best as he could before wrapping them.

"You'll be okay. We'll find Roger…" Sam said through sobs. "Eric? Are you waking up?"

Something must have shown Sam that Eric was waking up that Bill didn't see, because he dropped to his brothers side, and sobbed some more.

Eric made a small noise, must be.

"Don't talk, Eric." Sam sounded ecstatic. "Bill… Where's Jack?"

"You know where Jack is. Jack hasn't left Ralph's side… except… for… you know."

They all knew Jack was making himself sick. They didn't dare talk about it, because it was a sign of weakness, showing such compassion. Though, they couldn't help feeling sad for Jack. They all knew about Jack and Ralph, too. Another thing they didn't dare talk about.

"We gotta get Eric back. He's still alive." Sam started to cry again. The tears splashed down on his brother.

Bill sighed. "He's so bad… I'm afraid to move him… he might break."

"Don't say that! Don't ever say that! He's my brother!"

Sam ran his hands over Eric's arm. It wasn't bleeding, but it was bruised. It was so hard to look at him. To look at his brother and know that the person Eric… loved… did this to him. If only Eric hadn't told. They'd all be better. Roger might not have done… this.

"Oh, Eric."

This reminded Sam of a time when they were smaller. Eric had some virus and the doctors didn't know what it was. They didn't expect him to live. Sam sat next to Eric the entire time, even though he could have caught it, hoping his brother would get better. And Eric did. He survived that virus… so why wouldn't he survive this, now?

Bill's voice was quiet. "He's lost a lot of blood. You saw him… He's cut all over. Where he wasn't bleeding, he was bruised. He was beaten. Someone wanted him dead… I think."

"It was Roger!" Sam sobbed. Tears splashed on Eric's chest. "Roger did this to him."

Bill frowned. "Let's bring him to Jack. He'll know what to do…" And the boys moved Eric, carefully, onto the stretcher Bill had made.

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Normally Maurice wouldn't go into Jack's cave. Especially with Ralph in there… but he knew Ralph was sleeping and the Chief was in desperate need of water, so he walked in. "Chief?" He whispered. He found Jack passed out on the floor.

Maurice grinned. Both boys looked like they'd rather be dead than alive, on the island, in this damp cave. However, both were staying alive for each other. It was cute.

"Rise and shine, Jackie." He said, kneeling down next to Jack, shaking him slightly.

Jack moaned and Maurice couldn't help but giggle.

"Get up and drink this."

Jack rubbed his eyes and started to sit up. He only got about half way, before his stomach and arms gave out and he fell back down. Maurice dropped one of the coconuts of water to catch Jack so he didn't bang his head hard and get a concussion. "Come on, Jackie. You gotta drink this."

Jack groaned so Maurice moved over, so Jack's back was leaning against Maurice's chest, and he helped Jack drink the water. Jack coughed a lot, his body already rejecting it. Maurice hummed Jack's favorite choir song to try and comfort him.

Maurice looked at Ralph. It had only been a few hours sense they found him, but he was looking better. He thought, for a minute, that he should maybe change the bandaging on the wounds, but when he looked down at the Chief sleeping on his chest, he thought better of it.

It wasn't because he'd rather baby Jack than Ralph… because he'd baby Ralph too, if Jack would let him. Maurice pushed some hair out of Jack's face. He didn't help Ralph because he knew Jack wanted to do it. Jack would probably throw Maurice off a cliff if he did.

"It's the bloody handprints, Jackie." He grinned, but moved from underneath his Chief and slowly laid him down next to Ralph. Robert walked in as he was laying him down.

"How is he?"

"He'll be okay, but he's worried sick about Ralph. Once Ralph wakes up, Jack'll get better, I think. I don't think he knows it's Roger that did it though." Maurice stood up and walked over to Robert, wrapping his arms around him, burying his head in his shoulder. "Poor guy."

Robert let his hands loosely hang around Maurice. "How doesn't he know?" He looked over his shoulder at Jack. Jack groaned and rolled onto his side and started coughing. "Everyone knows that only Roger makes that type of wound… like an autopsy or something."

"An autopsy on the living."

Robert shuttered and Maurice looked up at him. Maurice was taller than Robert, by less than an inch, and Robert felt himself blush. Maurice grinned and put his forehead on the other boy's. "It makes me glad that I've got you… that I'm not the Chief's plaything."

Robert's eyes closed halfway, "Why's that?"

"Roger won't hurt us… he hasn't got reason too. He likes Jack. So if he needs to hurt someone it would be Eric or Ralph or the Chief."

Robert nodded and Maurice leaned forward, closing his eyes, kissing him for a second before he heard Sam sobbing outside. Maurice broke the kiss with a frustrated noise, and moved the skin door away so he could see the boy. "What do you want, Sam?"

Maurice's jaw dropped and he felt Robert tense next to him. "My God…" It was a body… a body on a stretcher. Bill and Sam must have made it, and got a few other boys to help them carry it. At first, Maurice couldn't tell who it was. But another look at Sam told him. The pile of bloody clothes was Eric.

Robert's hand grabbed onto Maurice's shoulder, and he looked down. "What the hell happened to him?"

"Let me see…" Jack was on his feet again, leaning against the wall of the cave, trying to pretend like his knees weren't shaking from lack of hydration.

Robert and Maurice moved to the side and Jack slowly made his way out. Maurice and Robert followed, just incase he passed out and fell. Sam was sobbing again, looking at Jack's feet, scared. He always knew Jack and Roger were friends… he didn't want Jack to just… finish off Eric.

"What happened?"

"We found him like this, Chief." Bill said, finally making eye contact with Jack. "We found him on the Mountain where the beast was. I think he was beaten."

"Of course he was beaten…" Jack rolled his eyes. "Put him in the cave, okay?"

Bill and Sam led the boys into the cave, but Maurice and Robert stayed out. Jack looked at them. "You know who did it. Why don't you tell me?" His eyes narrowed, but it was halfheartedly, like he knew, he just needed confirmation.

Maurice sighed and put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Who's the only bigun that's not here right now?"

Jack frowned and shrugged Maurice's hand off his shoulder. "Will you go get some more water… and some fruit?" The two boys nodded and walked off.

Bill and the hunters came out. "Sam won't come out, Chief. He's staying by Eric… if that bloody mass of practically dead organs could have a name."

"Don't be morbid." Jack said, sounding like he didn't care. "I want you guys to finish the hut… make it good, but do it quickly. The sooner it gets done the sooner those two can get out of the cold cave. It will help them." They nodded and ran off to the half finished hut, as Jack walked inside.

Sure enough, Sam was sitting by Eric, whose breathing had gotten deeper. His chest rose and fell more painfully. Jack shuddered and laid down next to Ralph. The smell of blood in his cave only further made him want to throw up. He closed his eyes, trying to block it out. It didn't work. As soon as he got up to go outside, Ralph mumbled. "Where are you going Jack?"

Jack was so happy he was talking, he sat down next to him, completely forgetting about his sickness. "I wasn't going anywhere." Ralph held up his hand as much as he could and Jack took it in both of his, grinning. "Hurry up and get better, Ralph. We need you."

"For what?" Ralph's eyes opened slightly. "Is it Eric?"

"What?" Jack asked, surprised.

"Roger got Eric too… he's alive, right?"

"Yeah." Jack said quietly, looking over his shoulder at Sam, who was calming down. He looked so small. Jack leaned over Ralph and whispered in his ear. "How'd you know that?"

"When… Roger came to where I was he was already all bloody." Ralph shut his eyes, again. "I'm going back to sleep… okay?" His voice was strained.

"Anything you want…" Jack said, kissing Ralph's forehead as he fell back to sleep, with Jack much more relieved.

After a few minutes, Maurice walked in with Robert following him. "Here you are, Chief. Try to eat something." Maurice handed Jack two coconuts filled with water and some fruit.

Jack took them and said. "Robert give yours to Sam. Sam… you have to eat." Jack knew, first hand, what would happen to him if he didn't, and Jack bit into one of the fruit. Sam took the water and drank it slowly, but laid down next to Eric. "Now you two help them build the hunt." Jack said after swallowing his food. He felt better already.

After Jack finished his fruit and took a sip of the water, he laid down.

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Jack sat on the ledge, facing the other camp. He watched Ralph pick up some dry logs for a fire. Samneric were down there, too. With Piggy. God, how he hated Piggy. Ralph's world revolved around that fat asshole.

Jack looked behind him and saw Roger walk up to him. "Maurice wanted to know when you wanted to go hunting." Jack looked back at Ralph. He knew Maurice didn't ask that… but Roger felt the need to have a reason to be in Jack's presents. That made Jack feel good.

"Watching the enemy again, Chief?" Roger sat down next to Jack. Jack knew he was happy because of the night before. It wasn't much of a kiss, really. But Jack got lonely and Roger always let him kiss him.

"Yeah." Jack mumbled, studying the way Ralph's back muscles rippled when he lifted firewood.

Roger swung his feet and played with his loose tooth. "How's Eric?" Jack asked, turning his eyes to the twins. Eric kept looking behind him, but never right at where the two were. Like he knew they were watching, but didn't know from where.

Roger made a small coughing noise. "What? Why do you ask me?"

"Isn't he your toy?" Jack looked up at Roger.

Roger shook his head. "I am loyal to my chief." Jack just grinned and looked back at Ralph.

"What if your Chief wasn't loyal to himself?"

"What?"

"Nothing, Roger. Just talking to myself." Jack waited a few more minutes before he pushed Roger further. "Eric looks beaten."

"He probably fell."

"Looks like spear wounds."

Roger stood up, ready to defend himself. "Do you want me to prove my loyalty?"

Jack stood up too. "Yes, I do. Let's go." Jack stomach turned with that feeling of guilt he always got before he led Roger on. He walked off into the forest. "Gunna teach him how to hunt." He said to the boys, and when they got to the stream, it was hardly a second before the two were joined violently at the mouth.

Both boys were kissing, licking and biting for dominance, but in the end, Jack won as he wrestled Roger down. As he got Roger down, Roger grinned and turned into Ralph. Ralph looked scared to be under Jack like that and he started to fight and yell. Suddenly Roger was next to them, kneeling. "I'll cut him for you." He held the knife at Ralph's throat, and started slicing.

"Stop, Roger!"

Roger didn't stop. He cut a line, not enough to kill Ralph, but enough to distract him and Jack. Roger dropped the knife and tackled Jack, and wrestled him down, keeping him pinned with his whole body. "You're mine, Jack Merridew. This island wouldn't be yours without me."

Roger leaned down and they kissed violently again. Except this time, Jack didn't feel guilty. He felt like he was in love. All of the feelings of love he'd ever known, every happy feeling came to his surface and he was happy to be here, kissing Roger.

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Jack woke up, with his heart was beating thick in his chest. He felt guilty. After all of it, after Roger killed Piggy, hurt Ralph and tortured Eric, he could still feel this… thing. The thing he'd always felt for Ralph. It was true. Roger was always there, but it was always Ralph that Jack wanted. Roger knew that.

Roger was the best second place anyone could ever ask for. Even dreams got Jack feeling like his old self again.

"Jack?" Ralph sat up, groaning. His chest muscled moved to try and help the pain, but the whole gash hurt. "Jack, what's wrong?"

Jack felt sick again… sick with guilt. "Nothing. I'm fine." He looked at Ralph; the way his hair fell into his face, the shade of his eyes from the fire, his chest wrapped in black cloth, which had a long bloodline down the front of it. He felt like he'd betrayed him.

"Jack…?"

"I said I'm fine, Ralph." He yelled. Surprisingly, neither twin woke up, if Eric was going to wake up at all. Something jumped in Ralph's eyes and made him cower slightly, away from Jack, and whimper. It wasn't like Ralph to do that, but from being treated so well lately, the thought of the old Jack returning scared him.

The savage in Jack's eyes died down as he put his hands on Ralph's shoulders. "Do… do you remember that time that we fought? Right before Rog-… Right before Piggy d-… Right before…"

"I remember." Ralph said; he was still avoiding Jack's eyes.

"Nobody ever really mentioned it… but I felt it. I was just playing with you. Like a cat might play with a mouse. Tackling you, rolling around with you… I liked it." Ralph looked up at Jack, their eyes met. "But then you started to beat me. You got good swings in, you blocked my spear… even though it wasn't meant to really hurt you, you did. And you never practiced. I always practiced and you could have beaten me."

"What are you talking about?"

"I felt so stupid." Jack shook Ralph. "Fighting against you… but I had to. You know I did. What would the tribe say? 'Just take it easy on him, Jackie. Just take it easy on your boyfriend.'" Ralph blushed. "Do you know how hard it was to live at a camp with Rog-… with some of those boys and be away from you? And the whole time… I'd sit there with Rog—with those boys and I'd wonder how I'd ever be able to be your friend again."

Ralph opened his mouth to speak but Jack went on. "It only got worse. I felt the need to show you up to impress you. If I were Chief, you'd realize I was worth something. But I just pissed you off. If I invited you to our feast, you'd see how fun I could be. But Simon… oh, God."

Jack looked weird, like he was telling his whole life story, and all this baggage had finally decided to spill out.

"So you hated me more. So… we stole Piggy's glasses. Well, we needed fire, too. But I just… I thought Piggy was the problem." Jack's voice was shaking. "I thought you… and him… and… I don't know. It was just so hard Ralph. None of them had to die. Nobody had to get hurt… I'm so stupid. I'm just a savage. I shouldn't have tried to impress you. I mean… I always knew you wouldn't like me back… how could you?" Jack's hand went up to Ralph's cheek. Ralph realized he was crying. Jack's hand brushed away a tear.

"I did, though. I did like you back."

Jack forced a smiled. "Well, you do now."

"I… I mean back then. All the way back then. From the time we walked on the beach together… do you remember it? It was only week or so after we got here. You said you were glad that we had no parents and teachers on the island. You said you were glad there were no girls." Jack blushed. "Then you said, 'Not that I would mind… of course. Then we could all get some.' But something about you saying that…"

"A quick cover up… I'd almost let it slip."

"No. I mean about the getting some. I'd never done anything like that before so my mind was trying to get an idea and the whole time I could only think of you…"

Jack laughed and put his forehead on Ralph's, and for a minute, they both laughed, but Jack's laughing turned forced, to keep himself from sobbing. "J-Jack had Roger sharpen a stick at both ends." Jack muttered.

"What?"

"That's what Eric said to you the night before we got you. 'Jack had Roger sharpen a stick at both ends.' I was listening, you know. How I hated Eric for that. True, I told Roger to sharpen a stick at both ends for you. But… I didn't think Roger would ever actually do anything to you. And Eric made me sound like the bad guy again." Jack sniffed hard and Ralph felt his hands clench his shoulders harder. "I knew… Ralph. I knew where you were hiding the whole time… but because I was mad at Eric… I let Roger… I let Roger…"

Jack's head moved to Ralph's shoulder and his back shook from his confession, silently sobbing. "Oh, God." He muttered. Ralph looked over his shoulder at the twins. Eric was breathing, he could see that much, but whether or not he'd be breathing in the morning was as good of a guess as anyone's. Roger didn't have any intention of killing Ralph, but Eric… did he want to kill Eric?

"And because I let Roger take Eric off into the night… Eric formed some bond with him somehow. Eric was forever his obedient puppy. I bet you when he gets better he'll go look for Roger. If Roger wants him back, he'll take him. If Roger's mad that Eric didn't die, he'll kill himself."

Ralph was… shocked really. He didn't know Eric was so far gone.

"It's all my fault." Jack's back shook again and Ralph ran his hands over it, trying to calm him down. "I… knew. I knew that Eric was like that. I knew Roger treated him like shit and that Eric still liked him. And I think… deep down. Roger liked Eric too. That's why I thought Roger wouldn't mind if I… kept you."

"Kept me?"

"When I told Roger to bind you… I kept you. They all expected me to kill you. And look where that got us." He brought his head up and smiled. "You've got Roger's Mark and I've lost my mind. I didn't think Roger would care. He had Eric… why couldn't I have you?"

"What do you mean… Roger wouldn't mind?" Ralph knew, really. He knew that Jack and Roger had… something… before Ralph, but he wanted to know what.

"Roger was perfect to fill your spot. Just like I thought Eric was perfect for Roger. If I told Roger to do something, he'd do it. If I wanted to… If we…" Jack blushed and moved in, kissing Ralph quickly. "That. If I wanted that. He was always more than happy to give me what I wanted. That's why I thought he'd be happy bossing Eric around… so I could have you. But… He wasn't. Poor Eric… Poor you. I'm sorry Roger did that to you…"

"Chief?" Maurice's voice called from outside. "The hut's finished."