Chapter 118
His feet hit the ground and Vincent was in his arms; he staggered as the weight of the dog threw him off balance but he caught himself quickly and began running as hard as he could, because Kate was ahead of him, alive, and he could save her. Vincent was weighing him down but he didn't want to leave him; he pushed himself harder, the thought of Kate giving him heart, he was going to touch her, hold her again if he could just go faster. Vincent growled, almost imperceptibly, but Sawyer didn't drop him; he mustered his strength and raised his head, growling louder and biting the shit out of Sawyer's hand.
He yowled and dropped him involuntarily; Vincent hit the ground with a sickening crunch and he glanced back, guiltily, but getting Vincent's message. He pushed harder now that he could swing his arms and with less weight on him his feet barely touched the ground as he sprinted faster; he could see her in front of him, almost, she was guiding him on.
He hoped he could trust Ana, he'd never had reason to, really, but when she'd talked about Kate's baby he'd seen something in her, a yearning and sorrow, and it was for that reason that he was entrusting his and Kate's future to her, despite everything that had happened between them.
There was a shot, then another and a scream; his heart dropped into his chest and he faltered for a second but kept running; there was no telling what had happened. He tried to picture only good things because if he thought anything else his legs weakened and his breath failed him; Kate in the flowers, in the shadows of the aquarium, under the meteor shower, in the warm, wet ocean...he burst into the clearing, heart in his throat as the scene opened up before him.
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"WHERE'S SAWYER?" Jack was frantic as Hanso and Locke came up behind him.
Sara's sly smile was gone, replaced by fear and worry as she said, "Jack, Sawyer's dead. You saw him kill himself."
Hanso said, "Then where's his body? You've got her, where is he?"
Sara shrugged, still looking frightened. "He vanished. I was getting Kate up on the horse," she choked a little as she glanced at Kate's wan, still body, "and when I looked up he was gone."
Hanso snarled, "You're lying. Jack, get her, and Locke, grab the girl's body."
He sighed as Jack started moving towards Sara, easily, like he expected her to just walk up and give herself up; she shook her head and said, "You're making a grave mistake, Jack.' She circled around to keep Locke and Hanso away from Kate's body; she didn't want to have to resort to showing herself but if that was what she had to do she was going to. They were all around her, now, and the horse was stomping nervously, glancing at her and bobbing his head anxiously. "It's okay," she called over to him, "just stay where you are."
Suddenly, with a soft POP! Sara vanished; Locke lunged for Kate's body but it vanished too, then Vincent. Locke, Hanso and Jack all exchanged glances, then with a sudden POP! Jack evaporated, then with a last sighing pop! Locke and Hanso disappeared too, leaving the horse alone in the glade; he stared at the empty space for a few seconds, then with a snort and a toss of his head he trotted off into the jungle.
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Kate's gun was pointed at her and she had hers aimed at Sara; she made her decision and lowered her gun, tucking it in her waistband and smiling at Kate as she shrugged. "I'm sorry, Kate."
Kate lowered her gun, looking at Ana strangely as she said, "You're sorry?"
Her hand went to her stomach, clutching it as she gazed at Kate, smiling sadly. "Take care of Jack. He'll need someone." She hesitated, then looked at Kate's belly, and Kate felt sorry for her, for her longing and despair, lonliness and love, and when Ana shyly held out her hand and looked questioningly at her, Kate nodded and Ana touched her stomach, gently, smiling as a tear trickled down her cheek. "I know that feeling, Kate. It's...beautiful, isn't it? That there is someone who loves you already, they don't even know you, and they love you. And the most amazing part, the most incredible, fantastic part is you love them too."
She held it there for a second; she could feel the life there, like she had felt it in her. That was what had hurt her the most about losing the baby, that emptiness, the hollow it had left inside; she had an angel on her shoulder every second of the day, giving her light and warmth and then it was gone, stolen away by the very devil.
Kate watched Ana curiously, as bitterness, then despair, then love and then happiness crossed her face, and she smiled as Ana finally pulled her hand away, backing up a step before saying, "Goodbye, Kate."
Jack's bullet slammed into her back, knocking her forward into Kate's stunned arms as Sara screamed.
Jack burst through the bushes and staggered like he'd been hit with a hammer; he'd made it worse instead of better. He approached Ana, propped against Kate as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth and she raised her gun, pointing it at him as she leaned heavily against Kate, who was staring in horror at the wound exiting Ana's stomach. "Don't bring me back, Jack."
Shock kept him from digesting what she said; he just gazed at her in dumbfounded horror as blood seeped through her clothes, dripping onto her shoes and he mumbled, "What?"
She was weakening and she wanted to know that he was getting the message; she didn't want to come back if it meant he had to become what she hated for it to happen. "Jack!" She snapped, weakly, and he focused on her eyes as she said, "Don't bring me back." He tried to come closer and she pulled the trigger.
He staggered backwards as the bullet crunched into his shoulder, shattering the blade and his collarbone and exiting from his back and he fell over, clutching at it as blood began seeping through his fingers. He rolled painfully to his feet and said, "Why, Ana?"
She cocked the gun again and said, "Because it will never end, Jack. Don't you see? Someone has to die. You brought me back but Kate had to die for it. Sawyer brings Kate back and I die for it. So you bring me back again, who will die that time? And then who will die for them? It goes on and on and on, Jack, that's the danger of it, don't you see? It's an endless circle and it has to be broken. I am going to be the one to break it." She smiled weakly but didn't lower the gun; she kept it steadily over his heart. "I love you, Jack. This is what's best. Don't bring me back."
His shirt front was stained crimson and his knees buckled as Sara ran forward and propped him up on her shoulder; he groaned, "Ana...please...I love..." his eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped against Sara, who eased him down on the ground as Ana began to cry weakly, Kate still holding her up. Sara joined her and together they eased Ana down and sat beside her, each one of them holding her hand as her eyes glazed over and she said to Kate, smiling, "I like...Joshua...for a name." She closed her eyes, her breath shallow and jerky, and when she opened them again they were almost empty, and she looked at Sara, then at Kate; smiling broadly and happily she said, "Bye." Her eyes closed and she was gone.
Sawyer came bursting into the glade and he stopped, horrified as Kate stood, covered in blood and ran to him, throwing herself on him. He grabbed her and pulled her away, checking for wounds, dear God she was covered in blood, "Are you hurt, Kate?"
"No, no, it's Ana, she-" her words were cut off as he kissed her, clutching her to him so hard she thought her ribs would break; there was a desperation in it, a primal abandon and frantic fear that suddenly made her wild with desire and she knew he felt it too; he tensed and drew his lips away, burying his head in her neck and sobbing, "Kate, I thought I'd lost you. God, I thought...I..." his words dissolved into tears of relief and he put his hands on her belly, cupping it, feeling the warmth and life in her skin, under his fingers; she was alive.
"James," she whispered, "Ana's dead."
He shuddered and leaned his head on Kate's shoulder, his arms going around her as he glanced over at Ana's body; Sara was next to Jack, checking him frantically as he moaned and stirred. "What happened, Kate?"
"Ana came out of the Jungle a few minutes after you left. She was crazy, saying that she lost Jack because of Sara and then she stopped and looked kind of strange and said she was sorry."
She paused as Sawyer lifted his head and looked at her. "Sorry for what?"
"She didn't say, she just asked me to take care of Jack, then...James, I can't do this right now." She burst into tears and Sawyer held her tight, relishing in the wet warmth spreading across his shirt as she cried; he stroked her hair, and said, "It's okay, Freckles. You don't have to talk about it now." He kissed her forehead as her tears abated; Jack groaned behind them and he sighed. A promise was a promise. Ana had done her part to set it right, now it was his turn.
He pulled away from Kate, kissing her forehead and going towards Jack; as he did a voice flickered through the glade, Wait. He stopped and stared, transfixed, as a silvery comet zipped through the trees, bringing blinding white light with it, and the angel hovered before the three of them, beating his silvery wings. Don't heal him yet, James.
Sara rose and joined Kate and Sawyer; Kate grasped her hand and drew her close as Sawyer said, "Where's Vincent?"
His wings beat faster and he said, It's time for me to go. It's time for someone else to take my place.
He turned to Kate and Sawyer and said, You have found your way, James. You are on the path and you don't need an angel anymore. He pulled three feathers from one of his wings and held them out to Sawyer, who took them uncertainly, feeling their silvery warmth in his hand as Kate smiled, remembering the three feathers she she had picked up the day Vincent revealed himself to her; they were tucked safely away in her pack.
Sawyer held up the feathers, questioningly. "What are these for?"
The angel beat his wings again and Kate felt a sweet, fragrant breeze fluff against her face; she felt Sara squeeze her hand in delight as the flurry brushed her too, and the angel said, in a deep, booming, lordly voice, Thou shalt be visited of the Lord with thunder, and with earthquake, and with great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire. As he spoke the feathers began to glow, faintly at first then with more intensity; they rose in the air and began spinning in a circle until they looked like a little cyclone;thunder rumbled and lightning flashed and great groans and cracking noises rolled from the little tornado as the inside began to glow red and flames spouted from it and as the angel finished his words it died out, the fire quenched, the tempest tamed, and the feathers sank gently onto Sawyer's outstretched hands. When he spoke again it was his regular, sweet angelic voice. You'll know when the time is right.
He flew over to Ana and stared at her for a moment, then he reached out a glowing silvery finger and she rose into the air, levitating as a silvery vapor swirled around them; he faded away into nothing as he whispered into her ear, softly, Wake up, Ana, wake up.
He was gone, vanished into the darkness and Ana started spinning, faster and faster and she burst open, spilling white light across the glade, and SHE rose from Ana's skin, looking around and smiling as Vincent's voice echoed back to them, Jack needs you Ana. you're his guardian angel now, help him find his way.
As his voice faded away, Ana shrank and slid back into her body, standing, alive and a little stunned as she found herself whole and breathing. She turned to Sawyer and said, motioning to Jack, "I think a deal is a deal, Sawyer." He nodded, still in shock, and he put his hands on Jack, absently, still gaping at Ana.
Jack spluttered and jerked up, looking around wildly. "Ana?"
She fell to her knees at his side, taking his hand. "I'm here, Jack."
His wild eyes focused and his hand went to his shoulder, feeling for the vanished wound; he gazed at her and said, "You didn't die?"
She smiled back and said, "Yes, I did. But I have been given a second chance."
He touched her unwounded body in amazement, then glanced at Sawyer. "Was it him?"
She hesitated. "Yes and no." She helped him up and they stood together, facing Kate and Sawyer as a strange ticking began to flicker through the forest. Ana looked at Kate and smiled, winking as she said, "We'll be seeing you, Kate. Sawyer,"she nodded her head at him, "it was almost a pleasure working with you."
He grinned. "Ditto, Butch." Kate eyed him suspiciously and he felt her hand clench his, hard; he was only half-smiling when he whispered, "I'll explain later."
The ticking grew louder and faster and with a soft pop all of them vanished, leaving the glade empty and dark.
