A/N: Hello my little friends… most of whom I never have nor will meet… :D I am back with a new chapter and hopefully it will clear some things up for you… I figure I've kept you in the dark long enough… ;D

Disclaimer: I do NOT own LOST… I could never come up with anything that brilliant…

(Michael's point of view)

It's too easy… too easy for the Other's to succeed. They took a nice and trusted man like me and turned me into… into… anyway, they held my son against me. God… I could never live with myself if I let anything happen to him… I may not have known him for that long but I love him. I love him as if I'd seen him grow up and attended all of his Spelling Bees and art displays. I just pray that I can have this chance with him so that I can redeem myself. But the price is so high… betraying the very people that took me in without questions or judgments. The same people that I have bonded with and grown to care for… oh man. I'm so nauseous all the time… it seems I can hardly go two hours without feeling a need to vomit. I just want this to be over so I can move on… but I have to wait. They told me to wait for the right moment and I am… Walt is worth everything.

(No point of view)

Jack moved forward, the voices in the distance egging him ever onward. All his mind could tell him was to put on foot in front of the other, now take a breath, exhale, and take another step. That was all he needed to know… he had to get to where he was so sure Kate was. Of course he didn't know what he was going to do once he finally reached Kate but Jack decided he would worry about that when the time came. Finally, the voices were so near that Jack could just make out what the words meant.

"We need him to come… we need him to complete the task," a low voice insisted and others murmured in agreement. Suddenly Jack heard something that made him forget his own physical pains. It sounded like muffled screams but Jack instantly recognized the voice of Kate… his Kate that was currently being held against her will by monsters. With a determined grunt Jack finally broke through to the small clearing where he was certain they were… where they had been talking just a few minutes ago. One of Them turned casually to face Jack and smiled.

"Well it's about time doc, care to hear a little proposition?"

………………………….

Claire was frantically hanging off Charlie, hoping that he would speak again and explain what he meant about Aaron. His repeated use of the name had chilled her inside and out and now she needed answers. Unfortunately for her, no sound came from the unconscious man's light blue lips. Claire finally gave a frustrated sigh and began to pace the room nervously. She found herself at a cross roads… and neither road seemed too appealing. The first road was that she would leave Charlie alone for a time, go visit Aaron, and just try and assure herself that nothing would happen while she was gone. The other road was that she stayed with Charlie and tried to convince herself that Aaron was fine in the care of Libby. Biting her lip nervously Claire continued to pace the room, eyes scanning the room frantically hoping to find an escape somewhere. Finally her dilemma was solved when she heard a low mumble come from Charlie.

"My place is with you…" she mumbled and once more sat in the chair. Although she had made up her mind it didn't stop that sickening nervousness in her stomach.

……………………

"I wonder what's wrong with Michael," Libby said, glancing nervously through the tent at the man. He had been pacing nervously for the past hour or two and now suddenly he was just sitting on the beach… looking at the cloud of smoke. Ana sneered slightly and glanced over at the smoke.

"Think it might have something to do with that?" she asked darkly. For whatever reason she knew that something about that smoke was evil.

"I don't know what you mean," Libby said, obviously in denial about something. Ana cocked an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Don't know what I mean about what? I was just commenting on the smoke," Ana replied edgily. Libby looked over at Ana and just shook her head. Ana decided to let it drop… besides… she didn't want Libby angry with her. She's the first person that really had a conversation with Ana in the past few weeks.

…………………..

Kate could have cried when she saw Jack stride towards her, looking angry and desperate. It reminded her of an old John Wayne movie she saw… the kind where the gun slinging, handsome hero came and taught those bandits a lesson. Then the damsel in distress would run into her rescuers arms and declare her undying love for him. Too bad this wasn't a Western.

"What do you want with her… with me?" Jack demanded, eyes blazing. "Zeke" just laughed and waved his arms around as if warding off the questions, rather like you would swat away flies.

"Have you really not figured it out Jack?" Zeke asked, laughing all the while. When Jack just stared Zeke heaved a sigh and continued on. "Your friend Michael is back at camp with a loaded gun and at this very moment he is preparing to carry out his mission," Zeke explained as if talking to a very young person. Jack just shook his head fiercely, trying to keep his balance all the while.

"Michael would never do that!" he insisted, glaring all the while. Zeke obviously noticed Jack's physical state though and changed the subject.

"Tired Jack?" he asked simply and grinned. Jack remained in stony silence, every now and then sending small glances towards Kate. He was secretly outraged to see how she was gagged, but was relieved to notice she was alive. Zeke sighed again and his eyes hardened, all merriment that they contained was gone.

"The game is up Jack. We've got Kate here as a bargaining piece and Michael is down there with a gun… ready to fire on people that lacks an established leader. All he's waiting for is our signal, which will be given in about seven minutes. That doesn't give you much time Jack." Kate felt tears welling in her eyes as the scene played before her eyes. She would never live with herself after this… knowing that it was she and her silly impulses that had got them all into this mess.

"All right, you've told me this already! Tell me what I need you want me to do and I'll consider," Jack retorted, seething in frustration and anger.

"Cool your jets doc. What we want is a war and there will be no considering left after it's all said and done. We led you here so that you could see this innocent girl here… see that we have her in our grasp and it will be enough I assure you," Zeke said, finally getting down to it. He must've saw Jack's hand reaching towards his gun because he quickly cut in. "Don't even bother with guns Mr. Shepard… I don't think your father raised you to be that kind of man!" Jack's eyes narrowed but he slowly brought his hands back to his sides helplessly.

"Let her go…" Jack demanded, eyes traveling to Kate desperately. Kate struggled against the ropes across her wrists, hoping that if she pulled hard enough they will break. She wished her lips could form words instead of being pressed into this straight and unmoving line.

"Can't do that Jack… you took one of ours… we're going to return the favor," Zeke replied coldly, smirking widely. Jack's face visibly paled but he remained in the same spot.

"It's been five minutes… only have two more to go!" another one of Them muttered from behind the large fire. Zeke nodded at him and then turned back to Jack.

"She's seen her hero… pull the bag back on," Zeke ordered. Jack made a strangled noise in the back of his throat as a large burlap bag was pulled over Kate's head but he knew there was nothing to be done. He could have sworn she was trying to form words before the bag engulfed her head entirely.

"So Jack… this is what happens when you play with fire. You get as much as you give… and we're going to be giving a lot," Zeke chuckled and then turned back to the fire. "It's been seven minutes… time for the final signal to our friend Michael."

"You're bluffing!" Jack cried out suddenly. Zeke glanced over at him and shook his ragged head sadly.

"You'll wish I was when this is all over." And with that Zeke threw something into the flames that caused the smoke to explode in a green… he probably threw some sort of colored signal into the fire.

……………………..

Michael knew what happened before he saw it happen. He knew what he had to do. Detaching himself for the final time, Michael climbed to his feet and walked slowly over to the tent containing the two women and the baby.

"What the hell was that?" Libby cried, noticing the giant flash of green outside. Ana leapt to her feet and raced outside, leaving Libby alone with Aaron. The baby was crying now out of the fear that seemed to surround them and Libby made her way to the crib. "It's okay little baby…" she cooed. Suddenly there came a heavy smash into her head and Libby dropped down, unconscious. Michael didn't even glance down at her as he walked steadily towards the crib. He mechanically held the gun out towards the crib towards the screaming baby. The wails seemed to echo in his mind as they increased, making it difficult to think.

"I'm so sorry Claire," he muttered. He didn't even hear Ana as she came back through the tent entrance. She saw the scene with a mixture of horror and a grim understanding. Her baby's life had been taken and she had been ruined because of it. Now she was going to save Claire from a similar fate. Without a thought or a regret Ana raced towards the crib with a determined and long stride. It seemed to Ana that all she could hear was her heat beat… beating so steadily and loudly in her ears with a steady throb. It seemed she didn't breath at all in those final moments.

A gun fired twice from the small tent down by the ocean… and a baby cried.

A/N: Well there you have it! All will be explained and wrapped up in the next chapter… so please let me know what you thought!