Sorry it took sooooo long to update! I've been busy with school and work and haven't had three minutes to myself. I hope to update more regularly soon once school gets out.


Chapter 14

"We should keep going." Sawyer growled, pacing back and fourth as Sayid lit a small camp fire. "We're wasting time!"

"We don't want to fall into a trap!" Locke said in a strained voice, "Walking around in the dark would be like giving candy to a baby." Beside him Jack nodded his head.

"He's right. We should wait until morning, when it's safe."

Sawyer glared at him furiously. "Safe? Safe! Hell doc, it ain't safe not even in the daylight. If you son's of bitches wanna stay here, that's fine with me. So long." He slung his backpack over his shoulderas if too leave.

"Are you crazy?" Ana Lucia asked, hands on her hips, "They'll kill you!"

"Last time I checked it was my problem, not yours Hot Lips!" Sawyer spat at her.

Jack got to his feet. "Sawyer, wait a few hours, that's all we're asking. As soon as there's light we'll start looking again."

"I ain't waiting for now one!" Sawyer shouted.

He turned round to leave, when a voice called out of the darkness. "Wait a minute."

They all turned to see Mr. Eko. He was quickly shoving items in his backpack, "let me come with you." He said calmly. Sawyer surveyed him for a moment, as if he expected him to suddenly change his mind, then he nodded his head.

"Anyone else?" he glanced at each person in turn, but no one else stepped forward.

Without another word Sawyer set off into the darkness, Eko slightly behind him. Ana went forward to say something but Jack held her back.

"If they want to go we have to let them." He said quietly, watching as the two melted into the darkness ahead.

"Jack is right." Sayid agreed. "We cannot stop him. All we can do is look tomorrow. Everyone should get some sleep," he paused, "I'll be the first to guard." He looked around for another volunteer.

"I'll do the second shift." Ana said suddenly, "I don't feel like sleeping much anyways."


"Ana, Ana wake up." Ana opened one eye and then the other, and slowly the dark form of Sayid took form. "Ana it is your turn." He said quietly.

Nodding, Ana pushed herself up, rubbing her eyes. All around her everyone was sleeping peacefully.

Pulling herself closer to the fire, Ana prepared herself for a hopefully uneventful night when a sudden noise caused her to turn around.

"Hey."

She smiled. "You're supposed to be asleep Jack." She said in a bored tone as Jack walked over and sat beside her.

"Can't sleep," he said simply.

Ana gave him a small smile. "I know what you mean," she paused before asking, "do you reckon there ok?"

Beside her Jack sighed. "I don't know Ana." He said simply, he held her hand tightly. "But I'm going to keep looking, no matter what. As soon as it's daylight."

Ana nodded slowly, she knew when Jack was this determined he would stop at nothing. But she had to try.

"There smart you know," she said slowly. "There smart, they won't stop at anything." Concerned that she was getting through to Jack she turned away from the fire and stared into his eyes.

"They know this place, the island, it's theirs-and we don't even have a plan, Jack! So what are we going to do? Just walk in there and ask for them back? There savages-they'd kill you without a thought!"

Jack shook his head, they last thing he wanted was to fight with Ana.

"I don't know, we'll figure it out in the morning."

"Figure what out?"

"I don't know!" Jack shouted without meaning to, and the sleeping figures stirred, but no one woke. "I don't know," he repeated quietly. "But we can't just do nothing, we can't just….just sit back and let this happen. Something has to be done, and it has to be done now." He paused, thinking about something before he said quietly.

"Why are you here Ana, if your so concerned, why'd you come?"

Ana sighed, before telling him quietly. "Because I made a promise, and I have to do something too."


As soon as the first rays of sunlight reached the sky Ana and jack woke Sayid and Locke, and all four quickly helped to pack up camp.

"We need a plan," Sayid said as they prepared to leave, reading Ana's thoughts. "I think we should split up. Going in one large group will just make it easier for them if something was to happen. Also, if we go in two groups, we have the advantage of covering much more ground." He quickly looked around the group for any objection.

"Does everyone agree with this?" all heads nodded.

"Right. Locke and I will go east then, Jack, you and Ana head north." He handed them a gun. "This should help you. Keep quiet, and make note of where you are going." He paused, as if thinking of anything else he might need to tell them. "And good luck."


"Maybe we should stop and rest." Sawyer ignored Eko's request, even when he repeated it.

"Ain't gonna find her unless we're looking Shaft." He mumbled. "I ain't taking no rest."

For two hours more they travelled without sign that any other human being had even been in this part of the jungle, then they heard a noise.

"Come out!" Sawyer yelled, infected with anger and unafraid. "Come out you son a bitch, you!" Eko glared at him, trying to calm him down. Suddenly there was a whooshing sound.

Eko and Sawyer both peered around, Sawyer both furious and afraid, while Eko was unsure and cautious.

Suddenly a rock flew so fast through the air that neither had time to react. With a sickening thud it hit Eko square in forehead. With a grunt he was brought to his knees, before he fell face first into the dirt, unconscious.

"Who's there?" Sawyer shouted at the top of his lungs, spinning round, trying hard to peer through the dense jungle. Gun ready, he broke into a run, following the sounds of someone running.

"Come out!" he shouted, then he heard it.

The faint sound of a baby crying.


"Maybe we should take a break."

"Good idea." Ana sat down on a fallen log, and Jack sat beside her, handing her his water bottle. "Thanks."

He smiled. "That's ok." For a while the two said nothing, then Ana said quietly.

"It looks like it's going to get dark soon." Jack looked at the sky and frowned.

"I guess we'll have to make camp here then," he said, sounding disappointed. Secretly Ana wasn't disappointed. She wasn't really looking forward to what she saw as an almost suicidal mission.


"It's almost dark," Locke said quietly as he and Sayid reached the edge of a jungle and found a large grassy plain.

"We should make camp." Said Sayid, reading his thoughts.

For a long time the two sat around the campfire without uttering a word, each one wondering what they would do next.

"How long are we going to be out here, Sayid?" Locke asked suddenly. Sayid shrugged.

"Until we find them, I suppose."

Locke raised his eyebrows. "And you really think we're going to find them?" For a moment he thought Sayid was not going to answer.

"No, I don't" Sayid said quickly. "These people are smart. We are in there territory, I believe if they don't want to be found, they won't. And you?"

Locke gave him a sad smile. "I don't think so either. So why are you out here?"

"Why are you out here, Locke?" Sayid asked the same question. Locke shrugged.

"I don't know. Guess I'm hoping I'll find something; that all this will help in some small way, and you?"

"It is my duty to help." Sayid said quietly.


"Where the hell are you?" It was dark but Sawyer crashed madly through the jungle anyway, stumbling, tripping. He didn't care. He could hear the cries getting louder. Some basted had his kid and they were close!

He tried to force himself to calm down. He had to keep quiet, keep under control. If he was gonna sneak up on the son of a bitch, he didn't want them knowing about it.

Travelling through the dark jungle quietly was almost impossible, but somehow Sawyer managed it. He could hear Lilly's cries getting louder.

Someone was standing in the middle of a clearing, holding Lilly awkwardly, the same way Sawyer had done the first few times he had held her and wasn't really sure how. They seemed lost, looking around as if a sign might magically appear and point them in the direction they should have been heading.

Sawyer stepped out of the hiding place, gun out in front of him. "Give me the damn kid."

The figure jumped, and Lilly broke into loud screams, Sawyer moved closer, and gasped at who he saw.

"Michael?" suddenly a light blub switched on. "You son of a bitch!" he yelled, rage coursing through him at the betrayal. "You did this?" he spat.

Michael held one hand up nervously. "Hey man, don't shoot!" he sounded terrified.

"Give me one reason!" Sawyer snarled, aiming the gun at Michael's head, the only thing that stopped him from pulling the trigger was the fact that he held Lilly in his arms.

"They took Walt, man!" Michael almost sobbed. "I had to do it! If I do this, they'll give him back. You don't know what its like man, I, I… HES MINE! I gotta do this man, I gotta get my son back."

"So you betray us?" Sawyer said in a deadly whisper. "tell me Daddy, how long you been workin' for them? I would did ya think you were gonna do once you got Walt back? Just stroll into camp?" He had never felt so much rage and hurt all at the same time.

"You don't understand!" pleaded Michael, "they just took him, took him right outta my arms." Suddenly he became angry. "Why the hell should I even explain to you? You only care about yourself, you don't even have kids!"

"YOU'RE HOLDING MY GODAMN KID!"

Sawyer was sure people miles away could have heard him. Lilly broke into louder sobs that echoed through the jungle. Michael said nothing, just stared at him in shock. Finely he managed to find his voice. "What, she's, she's yours?" his voice was barley a whisper.

"Mine and Kate's," Sawyer said desperately, "please, Michael, give her back, give her back for Christ sakes! For Kate at least." He lowered her voice. "God, you know what the hell it's like! I was with ya when they took your boy! And If I remember rightly, I got shot just tryin' to get him back for ya!" he paused, trying to let his words sink in. "Look, I'll help ya get Walt back, I godamn swear it, just please, don't give Lilly to those basteds."

Michael looked at the sobbing Lilly in his arms. Tears were running down his face; if he went ahead with this he'd get Walt back….but how could he put another person through the pain he was enduring? With slow, almost deliberate steps, he walked towards Sawyer.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you Michael." A voice suddenly drawled out.

"You!" Sawyer spat furiously as Zeke emerged from the trees.

Zeke grinned. "It's nice to see you too, James. And Michael, I'd give the baby to me if I was you, or you'll never see Walt again." He said with cool calmness.

Michael froze.

"Basted!" Sawyer muttered, he aimed his gun.

"Shot me, and she dies!" Zeke barked suddenly, drawing a gun and aiming at Lilly. Sawyer stopped dead in his tracks.

"Give me the baby Michael," Zeke repeated in a lazy drawl.

"Don't do it Michael!" Sawyer cried, feeling helpless. "Don't give her my kid. Hell, you really think the son of a bitch is just gonna give Walt back? I wouldn't believe a damn word he says!"

Michael Didn't move.

"Give her to me or I'll kill Walt!" Zeke demanded, his voice now threatening. Michael remained rooted to the spot.

A sudden sound cracked through the jungle, Sawyer looked behind him to see Eko standing there, panting heavily, gun still pointed. He turned back round and saw Zeke on the ground where he'd landed. Michael was still standing in place.

Zeke was dead.

"Give her to me!" Sawyer rushed forward, and to his immense relief, Michael handed Lilly back into his arms.

"I'm sorry man," Michael sobbed, "I'm so sorry man I didn't know…I just wanted him back…" his voice dissolved into loud sobs that he didn't try to stop.

Mr. Eko was throwing Michael a death stare. "Why did you do this?" he asked, taking a menacing stare towards Michael.

"Leave it!" Sawyer yelled suddenly. "I probably would have done the same thing." He added in a low voice.


Locke and Sayid ran towards the two figures would quickly emerged as Jack and Ana.

"You heard it too then?" Sayid stated more than asked. They ran in silence, heading towards the sound where the gunshot had come from earlier.

Secretly, they all felt some kind of dread. Sawyer and Eko might be dead, lying face down somewhere, but they tried not to think of that.

After about 30 minutes Sayid signalled for them to be quiet. Jack could hear why, voices.

"We should find the others," someone was saying, "They will still be looking." Jack recognised it as Mr. Eko's.

"No need." He said loudly, stepping out of the hiding place.

Eko was standing up; next to him was Sawyer, Lilly cradled in his arms and-Michael!

"Michael!" Ana Lucia and Sayid exclaimed at the same time. Michael nodded at them meekly, but said nothing. He looked a complete mess.

"Where's Walt?" Jack asked almost automatically.

"Walt ain't here," Sawyer said with a lack of the usual scorn, then he added hurriedly. "Michael saved the day and gave back kiddo here." The two shared a meaningful glance that Jack couldn't decipher. Mr. Eko said nothing, quiet as usual.

"Well," Jack said quietly. "I guess we're going back." Sayid nodded in agreement.

"Can you take us to them Michael?" he asked gently.

Sawyer was suddenly on his feet. "Let's get those sons of a bitches!" he said with an angry passion. But to his and the others amazement Michael shook his head.

"No way man, not today, not with your kid." He turned and walked away, back towards the camp, Sawyer seemed confused, almost pissed off that Michael wanted to do nothing.

"Next time," he muttered under his breath, before following Michael.

Sayid and Locke and Eko followed quietly without a word. Jack turned to share a look with Ana, both sensed something had gone on, but neither objected to going home.


They reached camp at about lunch time. Sun was first to meet Sawyer, and before he could even open his mouth she told him what he wanted to know. "At the beach, she's been there all morning."

Now as Sawyer walked quietly across the sand he could see her. Kate was sitting, hunched up miserably, hugging her knees. She watched the waves crashing against the shore with an almost intense longing, but Sawyer knew her thoughts were elsewhere.

Just seeing her like that made Sawyer hurt inside. As quietly as he could he came up behind her, but to his surprise she didn't notice.

"Got someone wantin' to see ya Freckles." He whispered quietly.

Kate spun around at the sound of his voice, and at the sight of Lilly burst into tears. Sawyer kneeled down close to her, handing a sleeping Lilly into her outstretched hands. Kate Seemed completely overwhelmed with happiness, and couldn't get a word in through the sobs, Sawyer sat as close as he could to her, trying hard not to show emotion.

"Guess I'm good at keeping my word," Sawyer half teased, Kate gave him a small smile.

"Thankyou Sawyer." She whispered.

"Just don't hug her so tight Freckle's, yer might just break her." Sawyer joked, causing her to laugh. Suddenly Lilly awoke and almost immediately began to cry.

"I think she's hungry." Sawyer said with a grin. Kate gave threw him one of her own smiles.

"Lucky for you," she said, throwing him a dirty look.

"What can I say Freckles?" asked Sawyer, fringing innocence, "I'm only a man, and a mans got needs."

Kate rolled her eyes. "It's breastfeeding Sawyer! There's nothing sexual about that!" Sawyer threw her one of smart ass smiles.

"Maybe not to you sweet cheeks."