Chapter 108

Ana swung her gun back up and pointed it as Kate fired again, hitting Ana squarely in the chest. Her eyes registered blank shock, then the gun dropped from her hands as she fell with a gurgling sigh, crumpling into a heap on the ground. Kate pushed aside her feelings of disgust and horror and kicked the gun away from Ana's hand, not that it mattered; blood was trickling from her mouth and her eyes were blank and staring as a large red stain spread across the front of her shirt.

Kate rushed to Sara and rolled her over; she was unconcious and Kate frantically checked for blood on her, finally finding a stain spreading across her hip where Ana's bullet had grazed her, leaving a deep, ragged furrow in her skin. She moaned a little as Kate touched it, her eyes fluttering open as Kate smiled, "You're okay." Satisfied that Sara wasn't in danger she went back to Ana, whose lifeless eyes were staring up at the sky.

She gazed down at her for a second, her stomach rolling as she reached down and closed her eyes; they were judging her and she couldn't bear to look at them, as she did her stomach gave a lurch and she stumbled to the bushes, retching until she was just heaving as tears ran down her face.

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Sawyer ran, carrying Vincent in his arms, the clearing was ahead and he didn't see or hear anything; his heart froze and he gave one hard effort, bursting into the glade with terror clouding his vision. He didn't see Kate at first; she was still leaning her pale, clammy head against a tree trunk, tears and sweat mingling on her skin as she cried softly against the tree.

Sara went to him as Kate glanced up; as she saw Sawyer she ran to him, throwing herself over Vincent as she sobbed against his chest. "James...James...I-I had to do it." He looked over her shoulder and saw the lifeless Ana lying on the ground. He looked away, horrified even as relief flooded through him, making his knees suddenly so weak that he couldn't hold himself and Vincent and he set him down as gently as he could, taking Kate in his arms as he rose. He kissed her frantically, running his hands over her in a surge of love and relief and she kissed him back, her tears salty on his tongue and lips.

"It's okay, baby, it's okay," he held her close, his lips moving against her neck as she cried and he gripped her tight, suddenly, guilt ripping through him at her suffering. "It's my fault, Kate. I never should have left you here. I should have known..." he crushed her tighter, hating himself for his stupidity and what it almost cost him. He knew the stakes were high, now the end was close, and they would do anything to get to him, so why had he been so careless?

Because he was certain, certain that his sacrifice would save her and the baby from everything, but it struck him like a bullet that it wasn't done, the war wasn't over and Kate was still in danger. He had to win before he could be sure, and as he tangled his hands in her hair, pulling her as close as he could, he knew that he had to win. He had to; it had terrified him to think she was hurt or dead and he had to be sure that it would never happen again.

He pulled away and caressed her cheek, grimacing at her pale skin and red-rimmed eyes; she felt weak against him and he motioned for Sara to come closer. She was standing, painfully, and he noticed for the first time the deep furrow in her hip. Vincent was in worse condition though, and as Sara hobbled over and took his place beside Kate he knelt beside Vincent, who was breathing shallowly as his pupils dilated in the dark firelight. "Easy, Rover. We've done this before." He put his hands on him and closed his eyes, trying to picture him whole and happy but Kate kept intruding and he lost his concentration. He sat back, frustrated as he glanced at Kate; she had slid her eyes to Ana's body and she was shaking and green as Sara held her up.

She noticed his frustration and, smiling at Sara, moved to Sawyer's side, dropping weakly next to him and laying her hand on his arm. "Do it, James," she said, the green tinge fading as she touched his skin. It electrified and energized her and her nausea was gone, though dread and horror still sat heavily in her gut.

He smiled as Kate ran her fingers along his arm, and he felt his mind clear; she was safe, she was okay, and she was beside him; the world was right and he touched Vincent, smiling as a surge of power left his hands and Vincent suddenly sat up, wagging his tail softly and licking Kate's hand. Sawyer sat back, letting him rise slowly and shake; as he did he saw Ana's body lying on the ground and he glanced up at Sawyer and woofed softly with sad eyes.

Sawyer just stared at him, not answeing and Vincent padded over to Ana, snuffling at her bloody mouth and the gaping wound in her chest; he woofed again, louder, and Kate winced at the anger in it. "I did it. She shot Sara, she was crazy."

He gave her a reproachful look and snuffled at Ana again, then he sat beside her and let out a mournful howl just as Jack came pushing through the bushes.

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He didn't see her right away; his eyes were held by Kate and Sawyer, standing together and looking horrified as he came through the bushes. Then he saw Sara, a long bloody gash across her hip and he started forward to look at it but something in her eyes stopped him; her gaze slid from him to the side and he followed her stare, his heart ripped from his chest as he saw her on the ground, eyes closed and blood soaking the front of her shirt and trickling from her mouth.

It was like he had been hit by a truck; all of the air and strength went from him and he stumbled across the clearing, blinded by tears and he fell at her side, checking for a pulse, a tic, anything at all. Nothing. The world closed in on him and he was suffocating, he couldn't draw a breath, his brain was on strike and he couldn't do anything but stare at her with horror and agony as silent tears trickled down his cheeks. He was too late; he had let them delay him too long, and he shook with fury at himself and at them, Kate and Sawyer. They had done it.

Kate was feeling sick again and she tried to quell the urge to heave, swallowing hard and choking her own tears back as Jack keened silently over Ana, holding her cold hand and kissing her clammy, white forehead. Guilt washed over her, drowning her in grief and sadness, her hand went to her stomach and she didn't want it anymore, it was too much. What the hell kind of a mother would she be? How could she even dare to think she could be one? She turned away, pressing her face to Sawyer's shirt as his arm went around her protectively, wishing he could shield her from it, from the guilt and sorrow eating at her.

Vincent howled again, a long mournful lowing that was different from Eko's lament; it wasn't as musical, as heavenly. Jack kissed Ana's still lips once more, lingering as he pressed his forehead to hers. He finally stood, and he was different; like he was just a shadow of Jack, a dark shade that was vaguely Jack-like except for the dark, cold flames blazing in his eyes. "What happened to her. Who did it?"

None of them answered and he stepped away from her body, with jerky, stiff steps, as if his brain still wasn't working properly, like the nerves weren't firing and he was just numb. Sara started to go to him, but he pulled his gun and pointed it at her as the fire in his eyes blazed higher. "Jack-"

"WHO DID IT?" He snapped and shrieked out the question and Kate turned her face from Sawyer's shirt and stepped up to Jack before he could stop her.

She walked into the barrel of his gun, pushing her body against it and Sawyer froze in terror as she stared Jack in the eyes and said, "I did."

He was trembling violently and all he could see in front of his eyes was her cold body, her bloody mouth and waxy skin and he completely lost it, drawing back the pistol and whipping it across Kate's face. Her head snapped to the side and blood spurted as a gash opened across her cheekbone; Sawyer leapt forward, grabbing Jack by the throat and squeezing as he lifted him an inch off of the ground. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, Jackass?"

Jack smiled coldly over Sawyer's fist as he gasped for air. "What..are you...gonna...do...Sawyer?" Kate came up beside them, her cheek already swelling and blackening and her neck and chest stained with blood from the gash; she put her hand on Sawyer's arm and pulled it down, making him set Jack back on the ground, then she slid her hand up to his, where it was wrapped around Jack's throat, and at gentle insistence from her fingers he opened his fist, letting Jack loose. He gasped for air and rubbed his throat, glaring at Sawyer and Kate. "You killed her."

Kate looked Jack in the eyes, her fingers going to her cheek and she nodded. "Yeah, I did. She shot Sara and turned the gun on me. What was I supposed to do, Jack?"

He noticed that her hand wandered down and touched her stomach and he looked away, still furious and...dead. He was dead inside, and killing Kate wasn't going to bring Ana back. Nothing could bring her...his mind fired into action and he forgot Kate, and Sawyer, and Sara...all he thought about was the Time Chamber; he could go into the time chamber and change it. And this time he would, because he wanted it. He wanted it, and this time it would work.

Ana's body was limp and still a little warm as he scooped her up into his arms; he didn't speak until he got to the edge of the woods, and he turned back, glaring at Kate. "I won't forget this. We'll be back for you." his eyes blazed and Kate had to restrain Sawyer from going after him again as he said, "I'll be back for you." He turned and disappeared into the trees, carrying Ana's lifeless body in his arms.