Chapter 3

The stitch in Michael's side was becoming unbearable. He and Jin had been running at a steady pace for hours, stopping only to drink and catch their breath. Michael was driven by his desire to find Walt, but he also knew that when he, Jin, and the guns were missed, Jack would have a search party on his trail and the more distance between them the better. Jack would only try to convince him to return and he was determined not to go back without Walt.

It could have been different, he thought. After the message on the computer he went to Locke and told him about it. Locke seemed tense and worried, but when he got to the terminal the screen was blank- just the same old flashing icon. Locke tried to explain it away, suggesting maybe Michael was tired and distraught- sounding a bit like Jack, really. Especially since Jack told him the same exact thing an hour later when he appealed to him to put together a search party. They didn't believe him- and it stung. Well, he thought bitterly, Jack was gonna have to put that search party together after all.

He stopped running and doubled over, gasping for air. Jin did the same and they just panted for a few seconds. Jin looked over at Michael, smiling sort of ruefully and said, "Run."

Michael chuckled in spite of himself. "Yeah man," he said. "Run." He glanced at Jin from the corner of his eye. "You can still go back, man," he said, pointing back towards camp.

Jin followed Michael's finger and shook his head. He looked Michael in the eye and said, "Walt."

Michael nodded and took a drink. Only a month ago the man next to him had tried to beat him to death and drown him in the surf in front of the entire camp. Now, just four short weeks later, he was the best friend Michael could ever remember having. No one he knew in New York would risk so much just to help him find his boy. Hell, no one he knew in New York would cross town to help him find Walt.

He checked the gun in his waistband. It wasn't really necessary, he just liked the feel of it. Taking the guns from the hatch had been ridiculously easy- he expected more of a challenge. The only people there were Charlie and Claire and they were so wrapped up in Aaron they just waved to him and went back to cooing over the baby. The only person he had any concern over running into was Jack, and he had seen Jack stalking angrily up the beach when he and Hurley were talking to Kate and Sawyer. For all of the talk about security it was pretty simple- the gun cabinet was ajar for God's sake, how easy could they make it? In thirty seconds he had grabbed the guns and ammunition and was out of the airlock before Ma & Pa could wave goodbye.

Jin took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. He looked at Michael with raised eyebrows. "Run?"

Michael laughed and took one last swallow of water. "Yeah, man," he agreed. "Run."

-----

The path to the caves was mercifully empty. Jack's feet traveled the now well-worn path automatically. The search party was set- he, Locke, and Kate were heading out in an hour. His mind churned as he tried desperately not to think about her. Which was impossible, given what he witnessed yesterday- Kate, bent over behind Sawyer giving him a haircut. It was so intimate, so natural. Sawyer said something, and Kate answered and moved to face him. But it wasn't Kate; at least, not Kate as Jack knew her. She looked so peaceful, so content, so happy; Jack felt like an peeping tom- this was a Secret Kate, one he was never meant to see. Then she kissed Saywer. Jack turned blindly and went up the beach, putting as much distance between them as possible.

Jack stumbled over a root, cursing under his breath. This morning, at the beach he had seen her coming out of Sawyer's tent. It was one thing to think about the two of them in abstract, but to be hit in the face with it stung. He was dreading this damn search party- how could he be around her now?

Ana-Lucia came out on the trail ahead of him. She smiled at him. "Hey Jack! I was looking for you."

Jack stopped. "Hey, Ana. What's up?" He pushed Kate to the back of his mind.

"I heard about your little expedition. I wanna go."

Jack considered. "Sounds like a good idea. The more hands the better. We're leaving within the hour, so meet us at the hatch. I'll give you a gun."

She looked doubtful for a second. "You sure you can trust me with a gun?"

"No, " Jack answered. "But I don't trust anyone with a gun. This is just one of those times when I don't have a choice."

Ana studied him for a moment. "If you're serious about extra hands, I know someone else who may want to go." She gave him a sly smile. "And you can trust him. He won't use a gun."

Jack laughed. "Well, in that case, bring him along. I can always use someone to trust."

Ana nodded. "Can't we all?" She moved to pass Jack and continue to the beach. She stopped next to him. "See you in an hour."

"Within the hour." he corrected her, only half-joking.

"Right." she said, giving him that sly little smile again. She went past him down the path to the beach. He watched her until she disappeared into the jungle.

It was nearly an hour before Jack realized he had forgotten all about Kate.

-----

Sawyer angrily stuffed a pair of socks and two water bottles into his pack. This was all his fault. One rash action on his part and now Mike's kid was gone, the raft was destroyed, Shannon was dead, and now Mike and Jin were off somewhere in the damn jungle. He forced Mike to fire that flare, he threatened him to make him do it...it was all his fault. If Jacko and company were going after them then he was damn well going too.

The guilt was eating him up. His misery made him furious- why the hell did he care anyway? Deep down he knew the answer-because he cared. It was that simple. He cared about these people. He wasn't sure when the change had occured, but somewhere along the line he had stopped hating himself enough to start liking them. And now, because of him, they were all in danger.

"Where do you think you're going, Sawyer?" Kate stood in the open flap, her arms crossed. She eyed his pack suspiciously.

"I'm goin' on safari, sweetheart," he said, slinging his pack angrily over his shoulder. He winced when the strap bumped into his bandage. "What about you? You goin' huntin'?"

"I'm going with Jack and Locke. You aren't going anywhere."

Sawyer laughed harshly. "Since when do you decide where I can go, Freckles?"

"Come on, Sawyer, your shoulder- you can't-"

"Don't tell me what I can't do." He stepped in close, glaring at her with a dangerous light in his eye. She stood her ground and Sawyer brushed roughly past her.

"Jack will never let you-"

Sawyer spun around in fury. "Jack?" he snarled. He advanced on her again, and she backed up involuntarily until her back met the tent pole. She was a little scared of him, he could see it in her eyes. The guilty weight on his shoulders increased tenfold and the misery of it made him want to shake her senseless. He grabbed her wrist and pushed against her, pressing her into the pole. He could feel her breath coming in short, scared gasps, and her heart beating wildly against his chest. He leaned close to her ear and growled, 'What the hell is goin' on between you and Jack, Kate?"

He felt her tense beneath him, and he knew whatever she said was going to be a lie.

"Nothing." She said. She could barely breathe, her skin was on fire where he pressed against her. She could smell him, a wild primal scent that clung to her like a mist. It was intoxicating. She moved, pressing herself into him.

His lips found hers, parting them roughly. The kiss was hard and angry, and his tongue moved insistently against hers, demanding more. Her free hand entwined itself in his hair, pulling him closer to her. His tongue thrust again, meeting hers and knocking her head against the pole.

Sawyer broke it off. He stared at Kate coldly for a minute, then dropped her wrist. She hadn't even noticed his grip on her. He shrugged at her. "Go on back to the doc, Freckles." He looked her in the eye. "I don't need a damn nursemaid."

Kate glared at him in shock and hurt. He looked sad and regretful for an instant, then he turned his back on her and stalked off to the hatch.

Kate stood frozen, not daring to watch him go. Her knees went weak and she slid down the pole to the sand. She could still smell him, feel him against her. She covered her eyes with trembling hands and counted to five.

Then she counted to five again.

She stood shakily, and sighed. "Time to get it together, Kate," she muttered, and glancing around the tent something caught her eye.

She picked up Sawyer's antibiotics and smiled. "You do need a nursemaid, after all," she said to herself, then grinning, she stuffed the bottle in her backpack and set off after him.