A/N: Hey everyone! I just wanted to celebrate a few things seeing as we've reached the 50th chapter of this story! It's been almost 3 years since I first began this fic and the support I've received has truly been incredible. I just wanted to thank everyone who reads, follows and reviews, as without you this story wouldn't have reached 10,000 words. Now with over 150,000 words and over 200 reviews, it really does feel like an achievement that I hope we can carry on for some time to come. Thank you!

Trigger Warning: Medical procedures and gore in this chapter.


Kali's time in the 'lab' had been as fun as she had been expecting. Her arms were bruised and painful from the amount of blood that had been taken. She was beginning to feel faint, having barely been given any water since they had been kidnapped. She wasn't how much longer she was going to last, but there was no way in hell she was going to beg. Kali slowly pushed herself to her feet from the wooden chair she had been sitting on, taking in her surroundings. It was a similar room to the last one she had been held in, if a little bigger. A camera flashed red now and again, indicating that she was unsurprisingly being recorded. There was a group of lockers on the far side of the room, but they all appeared to be locked apart from one. Stumbling towards them, Kali felt a wave of dizziness hit her, having to grip onto the open locker to keep her upright. She found a small mirror pinned on the inside of the door, her eyes instantly flickering to the wound on her neck. It would leave an ugly scar, the skin around the wound already inflamed and red. If she wasn't careful an infection would soon follow. She brushed her fingers against the cut, grimacing at the rough texture, feeling bile rise up in her throat. Would it ever heal, or would it always be there as a constant reminder of the limbo she was in?

"Ah, you're still awake. That's unfortunate…" She heard Ben's voice announce, as the metal door to the room swung open.

Kali whipped around quickly, a frown growing on her face when she saw two large men, one who she remembered was called Pickett, wheeling an operating table into the room. It was meant to hold a person in a prone position, a hole in the head of the bed to allow a patient to lie on their front. A bad feeling settled in Kali's stomach when she saw a nervous-looking man enter behind Ben, already clad in scrubs, pulling in a trolley full of medical equipment. There was an aseptic sheet covering something large on the bottom shelf of the trolley, making Kali wonder what was underneath.

"What is this? You want to play doctors and nurses?" Kali exclaimed, trying to keep the unease out of her voice.

"If you would lie down on the table, please" Ben told her, watching as Kali's eyes flickered behind him to the open doorway.

"I'll pass, thanks" Kali muttered, backing up a step.

"I suggest you make this easy on yourself and do as we say" Ben advised.

"Where's Juliet?" Kali inquired, not liking the absence of the blonde, seeing as she seemed to be the only person out of the group who had any medical experience.

"I felt she was a little too…sensitive for this procedure" Ben informed her.

"And what exactly are you planning to do?" Kali frowned, her eyes darting between the men crowding around her.

"Why do you think we've been taking your blood? We wanted to see if what is keeping you ticking can be revealed by science" Ben explained.

"And?" Kali asked.

"So far? Nothing. Your blood is disappointingly normal. Our scientist here thinks there's still further research to do" Ben smirked, turning to the man dressed in scrubs, who had kept his eyes averted to the floor.

"Back off" Kali warned, as she saw Ben take another step towards her.

"I never really thought you'd take the easy way, Kali" Ben exclaimed, nodding to Pickett.

Suddenly the man pulled a taser out of his pocket, the metal wires hitting Kali in the neck, causing her to instantly drop to her knees. Her entire body convulsed violently on the floor, as the man kept his finger on the trigger of the taser. He only stopped when Ben held a hand up, but the tremors continued to rip through Kali's body for a few moments longer, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. Once she started to regain consciousness, she was already on the operating table, feeling her legs being buckled down. Kali desperately tried to shake the men off her, but Ben grabbed her by the nape of the neck, shoving her back onto the table roughly.

"Now, unfortunately, we only have a certain amount of anaesthetic available. Used for only emergencies of course…and this surgery doesn't apply" Ben's voice washed over her, as Kali felt her arms being buckled down, the straps cutting into her wrists.

"What are you doing?" Kali murmured groggily, unable to see anything but Ben's shoes.

Her eyes went wide as she felt her jeans being pulled down, and a plastic drape being placed over her back. She strained against the straps around her wrists when she felt her panties pushed down at her left hip, and something cold being applied a few seconds later.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Kali insisted, starting to panic.

"The hip has the largest bone marrow pocket" The scientist replied, as Kali felt her whole body go cold.

"No…no, don't! You can't—" Kali cried, but was interrupted by Ben, who crouched down so she could see his face.

"Where is your brother?" Ben questioned, a dark look in his eyes.

"I don't know any more than you do!" Kali exclaimed, as Ben pursed his lips.

"Nobody knows your brother better than you do. So, tell me…where is he?" Ben insisted.

"I don't know! I'm telling the truth—" Kali started, but Ben cut her off.

"I believe you" Ben nodded, pushing himself to his feet.

"I suggest you stay very still" Ben murmured a few seconds later, as Kali's heart rate threatened to beat out of her chest.

"Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be quick" The unnamed man exclaimed, not sounding sorry at all.

She felt a sharp pain in her hip, most likely from a scalpel and had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying out in pain. She was shaking by the time she heard a drill start, scrunching her eyes shut as she tried not to hyperventilate.

"Don't…please. You don't have to do this…" Kali trailed off, with a sob, knowing the agony that she would soon face.

The moment she felt the drill cut into her skin, a blood-curdling scream left her lips, as the pain shot through her entire body. Her screeching only got louder as she felt the drill go further into her body, as she strained at the buckles on her wrists, desperately trying to pull herself free. Tears streamed down her face as her lungs felt like they were about to explode, but still, she couldn't stop herself from crying out. Black dots quickly began to obscure her vision, as the sound of the drill seemed to grow far away. Her eyes were fluttering shut a few seconds later, her scream cut off as she passed out.


The coppery smell of blood was the first thing Kali registered as she woke up. Her blood. She could still feel the restraints over her limbs, keeping her in place, despite the way her body was shaking. As her vision slowly began to focus, she could see blood was splattered over the floor underneath the table, making her stomach churn. The pain in her hip returned soon after, aching every time she took a breath or tried to pull against her restraints. A steady stream of blood still seemed to be leaking from the wound, as no one seemed to have the sense to pack the wound with gauze. Kali could hear voices all around her, but in her drowsy state, it was difficult to tell what they were saying.

"That's it? That's all you got?" Ben's voice echoed, as Kali forced herself to stay awake.

"It should be enough" The scientist mumbled.

"Should be? I need results, not maybe's" Ben insisted.

"There are other places in her body I could take marrow from. We could give her a few days to heal and then I could—" The scientist started, but Ben cut him off quickly.

"We don't have the time to wait...I don't have the time" Ben stated, as silence followed for a few seconds.

"But I can't…Ben, the blood loss alone could kill her!" The scientist complained.

"So?" Ben retorted, as Kali felt a shiver run down her spine.

"I didn't sign up to torture a kid!" The scientist went on, as Kali heard a ruffle of fabric, guessing Ben had grabbed the scientist.

"I need answers. Either you get them for me…or I will" Ben threatened, in a low voice.

"…Hold her down this time. I need her completely still for this to work" The scientist relented, as Kali couldn't stop the whimper from leaving her lips.

"Get on with it" Ben insisted, as Kali felt hands grabbing her arms and legs.

She felt cold metal against her thigh a moment later, as her trouser leg was cut away, and something cold was applied to her leg. She balled her hands into fists as she felt the scalpel return to her skin, cutting deep into her thigh. Kali shook her head as she tried to stop herself from hyperventilating, feeling more scared than she ever had before.

"D-don't do this. Please" Kali sobbed; not sure she could go through the pain again.

"It's a necessary evil, Kali. You should understand that better than anyone" Ben hissed out, as he placed his hand back on the nape of her neck, pushing her further into the table.

"Let me go…let me go!" Kali cried, as she heard the drill being turned back on.

"I'm sorry" She heard the scientist quietly mutter, as she let out a shaky breath.

"I'll kill you for this. I swear to fucking God, I'll kill all of you" Kali spat out.

"I'd be careful what you say, Kali. Remember, all it takes is one boat trip for your sad little life to come to an end. Once you lose your usefulness, what other reason will we have to keep you alive?" Ben explained, as Kali scrunched her eyes shut, knowing he was right.

The pain was somehow even worse this time, as she knew what was to come. When the drill started to cut into her thigh, she thrashed around on the table, her limbs flailing about as the men tried desperately to hold her down. Her screams were deafening as Kali's fingernails clawed into the padding off the table, the pain shooting down her entire leg.

"Hold her down!" The scientist insisted, as he pressed the drill down further, losing the angle he had been aiming for as Kali's body shook.

Suddenly, Kali felt something wet spilling down her leg, as the pain that had been shooting down her leg seemed to stop altogether. Her eyes flickered to the floor, finding blood was pooling underneath the table, as the men above her began to shout in a panic.

"Shit, shit, shit!" The scientist exclaimed, as the drill was pulled out of her leg and something warm was pressed down against the wound.

"Why isn't it stopping?!" Pickett gaped, as blood continued to splatter onto the ground.

"I think I hit…" The scientist's voice slowly faded away, as Kali's vision blurred, and she felt darkness engulf her.


Kali's eyes flew open all of a sudden, sucking in a quiet breath, as she found she was no longer restrained. The blood that coated the floor had dried, turning into a murky puddle that would stain the metal flooring. Kali lifted her head, finding only one man was left in the room, with his back turned to her. She still didn't know his name but remembered what he had said before the drilling had started. Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be quick. A dark part of her mind debated creeping up behind the man and snapping his neck before he even knew she was awake. She was surprised to see the large metal door was also open, and quickly weighed out her options. She looked down at her body, surprised to find she was only bleeding a small amount now from her thigh, despite having no pressure on the wound. How could…

She had died. Again.

That was the only explanation. The scientist must have hit an artery and she bled out. They had just left her on the operating table, having already got what they came for. Kali's blood boiled as she quietly pushed herself up from the table, glad to see the man still didn't seem aware she had awoken. She was just about to jump off the table when she heard a familiar voice, feeling her heart soar.

"Where is she?" Jack's voice echoed outside the hall.

"I don't know" Juliet's panicked reply came a few seconds later.

"Don't lie to me! I heard her scream. Where is she?!" Jack insisted, sounding angrier than Kali had heard him in a long time.

Making a split-second decision, Kali jumped off the table, feeling her injured leg threaten to buckle beneath her. She made a desperate run for the door, but a hand grabbed her by the hair just as she reached the doorway.

"Ja—" Kali's cry was cut off as the man shoved his palm over her mouth.

He dragged her back into the room, as Kali's limbs flailed around madly, trying to find a target to hit. She could hear Ben's voice echoing from outside now, his voice sounding further away than Jack's had. With a growl, Kali bit down on the man's hand as hard as she could, causing him to wrench his hand away with an angry shout. She threw her elbow back, hitting him in the stomach and rushed out of the room, finding herself standing in between Ben and Jack, while Juliet was racing towards her. Jack had his back to Kali, completely engrossed in opening the large metal door in front of him.

"Jack!" Kali shouted, causing the older man to whip around.

A second later the door swung open, and floods of water with it. Jack was instantly pushed back, disappearing under the water, as Kali eyes went wide. Juliet grabbed onto a metal pole attached to the wall as the water hit her, drenching her in an instant. Kali could see out of her peripheral vision how Ben had raced away, slamming a larger metal door behind him, wasting no time in abandoning them all. Just as the water was about to reach her, Kali felt an arm grab her as she was wrenched back into the lab. Water began to flood into the room, coming up to their feet in a matter of seconds. Without a second thought, the still unnamed man rushed towards the door, trying to close it before the room filled up with water.

"You can't leave them out there!" Kali cried, as with one more shove, the man managed to slam the door shut.

"Watch me" The man muttered, wiping a hand over his face, which had become drenched with the water.

"My friend is out there—" Kali began, wading through the water in the room, which was now almost up to her knees.

"I don't care" The man stated, reaching over to a cable attached to the door and pulling it loose, as sparks flew.

"What the fuck did you do?" Kali gaped.

"I broke the opening mechanism. Now it can only open from the other side" The man explained, shoving her out of his way.

Kali's eyes went wide as she could still hear shouting coming from the other side of the door, hearing how the water was still lapping against the door. How long until the whole corridor filled up…if it wasn't already? Kali's eyes darted around the room, trying to find a solution, when she spotted a large red button on the side of the wall, the words 'drainage' above it. Maybe it would drain the water from the corridor? Without another thought, she sprinted towards the wall, water splashing all around her and slammed her hand down on the red button.

"No!" The man cried, as Kali could hear a rumbling sound from the ceiling.

Her eyes snapped up to see what she had thought was some sort of air vent start to drip with water. She jumped back as floods of water started to gush from what she realised now was a drain, causing the room to quickly fill with water. The water was draining out of the corridor and into the room they were occupying, and likely other rooms in the strange building. It probably hadn't been her best idea, Kali thought to herself.

"You've killed us both!" The man yelled, grabbing her by the shoulders, a murderous look in his eyes.

"Actually…I've only killed you" Kali smirked, raising an eyebrow.

The water was quickly up to their necks, as Kali felt her feet lifting off the metal floor, seeing how the man was beginning to panic. He swam over to the metal door, that he had broken himself, and began to bang on the door, letting out a cry. While Kali would likely survive being drowned, she doubted the man would be so lucky.

Good.

"You fucking psycho!" The man yelled, as they were pushed further towards the ceiling.

"Don't worry, as you said earlier…I'm sure it'll be quick" Kali spat out, before taking a deep breath, seeing as the water just about to reach the ceiling.

She didn't fight against the water, allowing herself to sink towards the bottom, as she closed her eyes. Somehow, after what she had been through that day, drowning seemed the lesser of two evils. She passed out at some point, just as the water began to fill her lungs, a cold feeling washing over her. It wasn't as peaceful as she hoped, as her body fought to live, choking on the water that surrounded her. She scrunched her eyes shut, thinking of Sawyer as everything started to float away.


When Kali drifted back to consciousness again, she could tell she had died. It felt like it left a scar somewhere inside her every time she was brought back. A hand touching her face brought her back to reality as her eyes fluttered open. Concerned blue eyes were staring down at her, wiping some of her wet hair from her cheeks.

"J-juliet?" Kali choked out, as she heard her let out a sigh of relief.

"Are you alright?" She questioned, placing an arm around her shoulder, and helping her sit upright.

"I'm fine. Where's Jack? Is he okay?" Kali questioned, in a panic when she didn't see the older man.

"He's okay. He'll have a little concussion, but he'll live" Juliet told her, as Kali felt for some reason she trusted the blonde's words.

"Did it…did it work? I tried to drain the water—" Kali began, but she was quickly cut off.

"That was you?" Juliet inquired, coming into view.

"I figured pressing the button would make the water drain out of the corridor" Kali stated, as Juliet frowned at her.

"Didn't you realise it would drain into the rooms?" Juliet pointed out, as Kali forced a shrug.

"It's not like it's the first time I've died today" Kali scoffed.

"What about Joseph? The man who was in there with you?" Juliet inquired, with narrowed eyes.

"He said he was more than happy to make the sacrifice. Guess he must have cared about you a lot more than Ben does" Kali retorted, as the two women shared a look.

"I guess he did" Juliet nodded, after a few seconds, clearly not wholly believing her.

"Well, considering as I just saved your life, I figure you owe me a favour—" Kali began, but Juliet stopped her again.

"Yes. I'll take you to see Sawyer" Juliet replied, not even needing her to ask.

"And Jack and Kate? When can I see them?" Kali insisted, seeing how Juliet pursed her lips.

"…I'll see what I can do. Can you walk?" Juliet asked, as Kali nodded, glad for the blonde's help as she rose to her feet.

"I'm sorry for what they did to you. I…I didn't know" Juliet whispered, almost too quiet for Kali to hear.

"Now you do…so, what exactly are you gonna' do about it?" Kali challenged, quirking an eyebrow.


Sawyer had just figured out how to win against the strange machinery in his cage when he heard footsteps approaching. He paid little attention, more interested in the water that was streaming out of a pipe into the trough in front of him. He soon felt eyes on him and gave a quick look over his shoulder, his mouth going slack when he saw familiar blue eyes staring back at him.

Kali.

The brunette was running towards him, not seeming to care about the metal bars that kept them separated. Sawyer rushed forward to greet her, pushing his arms through the gaps in the metal. A large grin grew on his face as Kali quickly linked their hands together, a burst of laughter leaving her lips. Sawyer's heart was beating wildly in his chest, as he allowed his eyes to gaze over every inch of Kali, paying close attention to the marks on her wrists and ankles, as his smile slowly fell.

"Are you okay?" Kali asked, a soft look in her eyes.

"I am now that you're here, blue eyes" Sawyer beamed, wrapping his arms around her waist, despite the metal bars that kept them separate.

"I missed you" She smiled, reaching up to touch his cheek, lightly.

"Alright, break it up, lovebirds. Jesus, it hasn't even been 24 hours and you're acting like it's been five years" Tom said, shaking his head, in disbelief.

"I'm not leaving him again—" Kali retorted, turning away to face Juliet.

"You don't have to. But we do need to keep you in this cage" Juliet exclaimed, ushering to a cage opposite Sawyer's.

"I'm more than happy to share mine" Sawyer scoffed, his hands tightening a little on Kali's waist.

"That's not an option" Juliet pointed out, as Kali let out a sigh.

"And who exactly died and made you in charge?" Sawyer huffed, as Kali shook her head.

"It's not worth it, Sawyer. We'll bide our time, okay?" Kali whispered, as Sawyer reluctantly pulled his hands away.

"I'll get us out of this. I promise" Sawyer replied, taking her hand in his, as he brought it towards the metal bars and placed a quick kiss to the back of her hand.

"I know" Kali sighed, leaning forward to press her forehead against the bars, as Sawyer did the same, feeling her breath ghost over his face.

Tom had to all but drag her away from Sawyer, marching her over towards the other cage and locking her inside. With a quick nod from Juliet, the pair soon found themselves alone, much to their relief. Kali wasn't sure how much more of the Others she could deal with.

"You sure you're okay?" Kali asked, still worried what they could have done to Sawyer while she had been gone.

"Just swell. I requested that cage, but whatever" Sawyer shrugged, as a giggle left Kali's lips.

Sawyer's forehead wrinkled as Kali's smile faded quickly, a hand flying over her face as he heard her take a sharp inhale. His chest tightened when he heard Kali sniffle a moment later and realised she was close to tears. Sawyer gripped tightly onto the metal bars that were separating him from her, wanting nothing more than to march over and comfort her.

"What did they do to you?" Sawyer asked.

"They just took my blood. It's nothing" Kali shook her head, rubbing at her eyes.

"Kali. Look at me" Sawyer insisted, as she slowly raised her gaze.

"What happened?" Sawyer pushed.

"They tried to take my bone marrow. It didn't go well" Kali mumbled, hating the shakiness in her voice.

"But that's surgery, right? I mean, do they even have a doctor here? How did they put you under?" Sawyer frowned.

"They didn't" Kali replied, watching as Sawyer's eyes went wide.

"…I'll kill them. You better let me out of this damn cage right now, you sons of bitches! You fucking cowards!" Sawyer yelled, shaking the metal bars, angrily.

"Sawyer, don't!" Kali cried, worried what the Others would do if he kicked up a fuss.

"They hurt you—" Sawyer began, but she quickly cut him off.

"And I don't want them to hurt you!" Kali insisted, a pleading look in her eyes, as Sawyer let out a long sigh.

"Are you in pain?" Sawyer asked, after a few seconds.

"A little. I…I've already started to heal" Kali admitted, as Sawyer realised what that meant.

"They killed you?" He queried, in a small voice, as she nodded.

"It was an accident but…they didn't care, Sawyer. They just left me to bleed out on this operating table like I was…nothing" Kali mumbled, biting her lip.

"Hey, you are not nothing. Not even close" Sawyer told her, as she gave him a small smile.

"…Never seen you in a dress" Sawyer pointed out, as Kali looked down at the pretty floral dress Juliet had given her an hour prior.

"I'm pretty sure you can request one for yourself if you want, Juliet had plenty with her" Kali teased, as Sawyer shook his head, fondly.

"I was just gonna' say you look pretty, is all" Sawyer grinned, seeing the way Kali's cheeks reddened a little.

"I look like shit" She scoffed, despite the smile on her lips.

"No, baby. You really don't" Sawyer smiled back.


At dawn the next morning, a group of men came to take them for 'work', including Pickett, who kept his eyes to the ground when he saw Kali. She raised an eyebrow when a metal box was thrown at her, with the words lunch plastered over the top. She was practically itching to rip it open, only now realising how hungry she was. Two of the men grabbed her arms, pulling her forward, seeming under orders to keep her and Sawyer as separate as possible. As she turned to see the man in question swaggering over to Pickett, oozing confidence, his buttons only half done up, she could see why. Despite everything that was happening around her, Kali's thoughts always seemed to go right back to Sawyer. She watched with interest when a blonde rushed up to Picket while they made their way past the cages, having a hushed conversation before he kissed her on the cheek.

That was one weakness Kali certainly didn't mind exploiting.

After a half-hour walk, they arrived at a clearing, filled with people working, carrying wheelbarrows of rocks in and out. Kali couldn't figure out what for, they still seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Then again, nothing about the Others made sense to her.

"Alright, here's the jig, see these rocks, here? That's where you two come in. You're going to chop them loose. And you're going to haul them out of here" Pickett announced, pointing to Kali and then Sawyer.

"Why?" Kali asked.

"Because I just told you to. Now, if you need anything - you raise your hand. You get 10 minutes for lunch—" Pickett began, but Sawyer soon cut him off.

"I got a question, boss" He exclaimed, raising his hand.

"No questions" Pickett retorted.

"You just said raise your hand if you have a question" Kali pointed out.

"Well, I didn't mean right now, did I?" Pickett complained.

"If you try to run off, you will be shocked" Pickett warned them, as an idea grew in Sawyer's mind.

"Shot?! We don't even get a warning?" Sawyer questioned, in a mocking tone.

"Shocked. I said, shocked. If you talk to each other you're going to be shocked. If you touch each other, you're going to be shocked. If you're slacking, you're going to get shocked. Matter of fact, if you do anything at all that pisses me off, you're going to get shocked. Okay?!" Pickett all but yelled as Kali quirked an eyebrow.

"Looks like someone got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning" Kali whispered to Sawyer.

"Shut up" Pickett muttered.

"Oh...maybe he got kicked out of it? The thing between you and that blonde we saw not going so well?" Sawyer went on, as Pickett glared at him.

"I said…shut it" Pickett insisted, taking a step forward.

"I mean, no offence man, but she is clearly out of your league—" Kali continued, as Pickett lunged forward to grab her hair.

"Last warning" Danny hissed, taking his taser out, as she noticed he turned the safety off.

"What are you gonna' do, Pickett? Shock me? You've already drilled holes into me, this seems like a bit of a step down" Kali spat out, shoving him away from her, as she realised all the workers around them had stopped, watching the argument unfold.

With a growl, Pickett raised his arm out, but instead of aiming it towards Kali, he lunged forward to hit Sawyer with the taser. The blond flopped to the ground instantly, letting out a cry of pain, as his body convulsed for a moment. Kali went to rush towards Sawyer, but Pickett grabbed her arm roughly, tight enough to leave a bruise.

"Now, that was a quarter charge. You have anything else you want to say?" Pickett exclaimed, as Kali gave him a disgusted look.

As the day went on, and the sun beat down on them, Kali began to wonder if they were just being forced to break the rocks as a different type of torture. No, that didn't make sense. They were making their own people work too, it must have been for a reason. Maybe they needed a road, a landing sight maybe? She was so lost in thought; she didn't even notice when a familiar brunette slowly approached her.

"Kali?" Kate exclaimed, as the younger girls' eyes widened.

"Kate!" Kali grinned, rushing forward to hug the girl, not even think twice about it.

"God, it's so good to see you" Kate grinned, wrapping her arms around Kali's shoulders.

"This a girls-only reunion?" Sawyer smirked, walking over to the pair.

"It's good to see you too, Sawyer" Kate chuckled, pulling away from the brunette.

"Is Jack not with you?" Kali asked, as Kate shook her head, quickly.

"I haven't seen him. You don't think…" Kate trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

"I heard his voice yesterday. I think he was trying to escape" Kali replied.

"Did he?" Kate asked, with wide eyes.

Just as Kali was about to reply, Pickett was marching over to them, the taser in his hand a clear threat. It was then that Kali a ring of keys attached to his belt, her eyes flickering over to Sawyer who had noticed it too, drawn by the clanging sound. Sawyer recognised the key that had been used to open his and Kali's cages quickly. A smirk spread over his lips, as he gave her a wink, glad they were both on the same wavelength.


"So, what's the plan?" Kali asked, an hour later, as she helped haul a rock into Sawyer's wheelbarrow.

"We need a distraction" Sawyer pointed out, as Kali nodded.

"Maybe we can break one of Pickett's golden rules?" Kali scoffed, her eyes flickering around the clearing, to find Kate a few metres away, using a pickaxe to break up a large rock.

"I think I've got the perfect rule to break" Sawyer grinned, a mischievous look in his eyes.

Before Kali even had time to think, Sawyer's hand had wrapped itself around the nape of her neck, crashing their lips together. Kali let out a soft gasp, as Sawyer used this to his advantage, running his tongue over her bottom lip before he deepened the kiss. Kali's hand came up to clutch at the collar of his shirt, letting out a small moan, as she returned the kiss with the same hunger. She could hear a shout from close by, and saw Pickett marching towards them, as her eyes fluttered open. Sawyer slowly pulled her away, giving her a soft smile, making Kali's heart lurch, before the pair jumped into action.

"Duck!" Kali cried, as Sawyer did as he was told, narrowly missing the barrel of the gun that would have struck his head.

She then rushed forward to kick Pickett roughly in the chest, making him stumble backwards, right into Sawyer's path, who struck him in the face. Pickett dropped to his knees, his nose bleeding from the force of Sawyer's knuckles. The rifle he had been holding flopped to the ground, as Kali made a run for it, but she was cut off by a man with a taser. She blocked his hand before he could hit her, grabbing his wrist, and wrenching his arm behind his back, hearing a snap. She then grabbed the taser from his limp hand, turning the safety off, and shocking him in the neck, as he fell to the ground. Sawyer was meanwhile taking on two other men, sending a punch so hard to one of the men's faces that she could actually hear his facial bones break. Just as the other man was about to attack Sawyer, Kali grabbed the abandoned rifle on the ground, striking the unsuspecting man in the back of the head, knocking him out cold. She threw the taser towards Sawyer, who instantly caught it in his hand, a smirk playing on his lips. The remaining men backed up a step, knowing that Kali would use the rifle and not think twice about it.

"Kali!" Juliet's voice broke through the tense silence, as Kali whipped around.

She couldn't help but let out a groan when she saw Juliet gripping Kate's arm, a gun pointed at her. There was no bluff hidden behind the blonde's eyes. She was ready to shoot Kate if needed. Kate averted her eyes to the ground with a guilty expression, knowing she had ruined their escape plan.

"Put the gun down. Now" Juliet ordered, as Kali shared a look with Sawyer.

"Yes Ma'am" Kali scoffed, as she reluctantly threw the rifle to the ground, as Sawyer did the same with his newfound taser.

"You really shouldn't have done that" Pickett growled, as he picked up the discarded taser, heading straight for Kali.

"Nice nose. Honestly, I think it's an improvement—" Kali's mocking was cut off, as Pickett lunged forward, the taser striking her in the stomach, at what she expected was at full charge.

She dropped to her knees and would have fallen flat on her face if she hadn't grabbed onto his leg at the last moment. Pickett was quick to kick out her, striking Kali in the face as she rolled onto her stomach. Sawyer's hands balled into fists as he saw how Kali continued to shake on the ground for a few moments, surprised when Juliet ushered him forward to help her.

"Hey, I've got you" Sawyer exclaimed, helping to sit her upright, her back resting against his chest.

"Likewise" Kali mumbled, grabbing his hand quickly, as he felt something cold placed into his palm.

"Get back to work" Pickett insisted, grabbing Kali's shoulder and hauling her upright, not caring that she could barely stand.

Sawyer's eyes flickered down for a second, his eyes wide when he saw Kali had given him a key, realising that the plan had worked. He bent over to make sure his hair hid the smirk on his face for a moment, as he pushed himself to his feet.

I think I'm gonna' marry that girl, Sawyer thought to himself with a smile.


Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! We got Sawyer back in this chapter...enjoy the Kali/Sawyer content while you can because they've got a storm coming this season! Some Juliet coming up next chapter too. Please leave a review:)

johnsonsweet: You don't understand how stressful it was for me to update the previous chapter while watching the new season of Lucifer too, haha. Now, that was some serious multitasking! I hope you like the new chapter:)

AsukaHyuga: Ben can be a real dick! More chaos to come I'm afraid, haha. Thanks for reviewing:)

carmelitajones: I'm glad you liked it:) Lots more of Desmond to come this season! And yay, Sawyer is back, he couldn't be absent for long. Thank you as always for reviewing!

DrLexieSloan: Desmond is going to be an interesting character to write about this season, especially with this connection he has with Kali. As for Billy, he is going to be a VERY important character in later seasons, but don't expect to see him much until Season 4. Ben just proved how sadistic he can be in this chapter, the man sure is getting desperate! Poor Kali, she's not getting many breaks recently. Thank you for reviewing:)

Kz4: Yes, Desmond will be doing a lot of time travelling just like that episode, but even more than on the show. And it will all be mostly centred around two characters, one who will definitely be a surprise. Very true! Thank you for the review:)

scripturient321: That's what makes him such a good villain, haha. Kali is definitely stuck in an awful limbo right now, and an ultimatum will be coming her way this season! I think all these characters would benefit from a therapist, haha! It's always a good time to re-watch Lost:)

Giio brasileira: I hope you liked those chapters, now you've got another one to read, haha!

Guest: Aw, thank you so much:) I love Desmond, and that episode is definitely one of my favourite episodes too, so well written. I'm glad you've picked up on that parallel, it's going to be interesting seeing how Kali is destined to live and Charlie is destined to die, and how those two will deal with that. Ben is very desperate, and he is showing just how far he is willing to go to survive. I'm actually playing around with an idea for this fic that will definitely bring a spooky/horror vibe, and also expand on a forgotten storyline this show seemed to drop in later seasons...I can't say more than that, haha. Hopefully, I'll be able to make the cage era a bit more bearable! I hope you liked the new update.

Apoka: Yes, I saw Lost is on Disney+ now too! Hopefully, that means even more people can watch this great show that missed out when it was airing.