Kali wiped the sweat away from her forehead, struggling to keep up with the rest of the group as they continued their journey to the barracks. She was still suffering from the wounds she sustained in the explosion in the Looking Glass, but she knew now wasn't the time to show weakness. People were counting on her. She had her friends to look out for. A strange flash of red in the sky had her eyes flickering up, finding a flare ascending above them. It wasn't far either. In fact, it was too close for Kali's liking.
"That's them. That's somebody from my team...what's wrong with you people? We're here because of you. I just almost died jumping out of a helicopter because you called us for help" Charlotte exclaimed, when she saw the distrustful glances she was receiving.
"Maybe we should go see who launched the flare" Hurley agreed, as Kali turned to him with a look of disbelief.
Just as she opened her mouth to scold him, she felt something dripping down from her nose, reaching up to find blood staining her fingertips. She frowned as she felt her nose begin to bleed more forcefully, holding her hand up to her face to cover up the blood. Had she hurt herself more in the explosion than she thought?
"Shit" She murmured, causing Sawyer to turn to her.
"Hey, you okay?" He questioned, grabbing a cloth from his jeans pocket and passing it to her.
"I'm fine. It's nothing" She replied, even though the cloth was already becoming stained with the red substance.
"Oh wow. That's...that's a lot of blood..." Hurley stuttered, turning as white as a sheet.
"I swear to God if you faint Hugo—" Kali started, but Hurley was quick to cut her off.
"Me? Faint at the sight of blood? Ha. No, no way" Hurley gulped, as Sawyer gave him a side-eye.
"Cause' it ain't like that's exactly what you did when we first met, is it?" Sawyer mocked.
"That was one time, man" Hurley grumbled, making Kali snort.
As she moved the cloth away, she was relieved to see the blood had stopped flowing from her nose, wondering what had caused it in the first place. Why was it some of the survivors seemed to be suffering from the same symptoms while others weren't? Nothing on the island ever made sense to her.
Her thoughts were immediately cut off when two bullets whizzed through the air, hitting Charlotte directly in the chest. Kali's mouth went slack as she twisted around to find Ben holding a gun in his hand, a slight smirk on his face. Sawyer was charging at him a second later, throwing him off his feet with ease, sending a punch to his jaw. Kali raced forward to Charlotte's side, finding the woman was still breathing, her eyes shut. She reached out to feel the woman's pulse, surprised when she found such a strong heartbeat. She then unzipped her green jacket, expecting to find blood oozing from two bullet wounds, instead discovering a...bulletproof vest?
"What the fuck?" Kali gaped, as Charlotte's eyes shot open, breathing heavily.
"Looks like you've got a lot of explaining to do, ginger" Kali told her, grabbing her shoulder and helping to pull her into a sitting position.
"Your friend is the one who just bloody shot me!" Charlotte complained as she began shrugging off the bulletproof vest, grimacing in pain as she did so.
"Something tells me he probably had reason to" Kali stated, hearing a scuffle from behind her, turning to see Sawyer grabbing Ben by the neck and hurling him towards a nearby tree.
"James, listen to me! Please!" Ben cried, as Sawyer grabbed the gun he had wrestled from Ben, holding it up to his head.
"Keep your mouth shut!" Sawyer warned.
"I'm sorry you got shot. I didn't intend for that to happen" Locke told Charlotte, who let out a scoff.
"Really? Because it seemed like you were about to shoot me yourself" Charlotte pointed out.
"What good would you be to me dead?" Locke stated, making his way toward Ben, who had Sawyer's hand wrapped around his neck.
"I feel much more comfortable now. Thanks" Charlotte retorted, sarcastically.
"I guess this is the part where I'm supposed to say I told you so. You want me to do it?" Sawyer asked Locke, sounding a little too excited at the prospect.
"No, it's my mess, I'll clean it up" Locke sighed, as Sawyer passed him the gun.
"No, wait!" Alex cried, rushing forward, as Kali held a hand up to stop the younger girl.
"Danielle, you should escort Alex away from here" Locke advised, as Alex's mother tried to usher her away.
"No, no! Kali, do something! Please!" Alex all but begged, reaching out for Kali's hand, her eyes welling with tears.
"...We shouldn't kill him" Kali announced, as the entire group turned to her in surprise.
"Come again?" Locke questioned, his brow furrowed.
"He has information. And we need answers" Kali suggested, as Sawyer shook his head, coming to stand by her side.
"What if he had shot you? Or me? He's dangerous, blue eyes. You know it" Sawyer insisted, as Kali nodded slowly.
"You're right. He is. Or his hands are, at least" Kali offered, bringing out her knife from the waistband of her trousers, watching Ben go still.
"What do you say, Benjamin? Your life, or your hands?" Kali pushed, the panic becoming clear on Ben's features.
"Kali, think about this—" Ben began, his voice shaking, as Kali cut him off.
"I think I'm done with letting you get in my head. C'mon, I'll make it quick. I suggest you stay...very still" Kali muttered, reaching out to grab his arm, placing the blade to his wrist, as Ben's eyes widened.
He remembered saying those exact words to her. Back in the cages. When he had taken her bone marrow. Perhaps this was her revenge he realised. Kali and her brother were good at waiting after all. He grit his teeth as her eyes connected with his, not a hint of bluffing behind her eyes. She quirked an eyebrow at him, pushing the knife into the delicate skin of his wrist, nicking the flesh there, causing it to begin bleeding.
"Her name is Charlotte Lewis!" Ben announced, reluctantly, as Kali slowly pulled the knife away from him.
"Charlotte Staples Lewis. Born July second, nineteen seventy-nine, Essex, England. Parents David and Jeanette. Eldest of three, all girls. She was raised in Bromsgrove. Did her undergraduate studies at Kent. Took her PhD in Cultural Anthropology at Oxford. She's here with two other team members and a pilot. Their names Daniel Faraday, Miles Straume, and Frank Lapidus...Your instinct was right, Kali. These people are a threat, and if you shoot me you'll never know how great a threat they were. Because I know what they're doing here. I know what they want" Ben explained, as Charlotte gave Kali a sheepish look.
"What do they want?" Sawyer frowned.
"Me, James, they want me" Ben admitted.
"How do you know all this?" Locke asked, still gripping the gun tightly in his hand, ready to shoot at any second.
"Because I have a man on their boat" Ben confessed, as Kali and Sawyer shared a surprised look.
"So, how exactly did you go about getting someone on their boat?" Kali asked, as they continued trekking through the jungle, Rousseau pulling Ben's bound hands behind her.
"I'm good at knowing what people want. And exploiting it" Ben replied.
"You gonna' tell us who it is then?" Sawyer pushed, as Ben gave him a scoff.
"Well here's an idea: Why don't we take a gun, point it to your big toe, and send that little piggy to market. And if you still doesn't want to tell us, we'll move on to the roast beef. Now, why don't we do that?" Sawyer threatened.
"Because then we'd have to carry him" Locke pointed out, from the front of the group.
"Not if I shoot him in the arm" Kali shrugged, watching how Ben's shoulders went rigid.
"You seem a little unhinged, Kali. I can't help but think it might have something to do with a certain musician's untimely demise—" Ben's words were cut off as Kali lunged forward, her hand instantly wrapping around Ben's throat.
Sawyer's eyes widened as he saw how tightly she squeezed, looking as if she was preparing to snap the older man's neck. He rushed forward to grab her around the waist, having to use all his strength to rip her hand away from Ben's neck. As her eyes connected with Ben's, who was gasping for breath, he couldn't help but think if looks could kill, he would be very much dead.
"Mention Charlie again, and I swear to God, I'll kill you with my damn hands" Kali spat out, as Ben nodded slowly.
"Understood" He muttered, in a shaky voice.
"I think it's time the rope goes back on" Rousseau exclaimed, grabbing the piece of rope and gagging Ben once again.
"You good?" Sawyer asked, releasing his grip around Kali's waist when he was happy she wouldn't lunge at Ben.
"I really hate that guy" Kali huffed, earning a snort from Sawyer.
"No argument here, blue eyes" Sawyer mumbled, leaning down to press a kiss to her hair, as the two began walking with the rest of the group.
They hadn't got very far when Kali heard a crunching sound from under her foot, stepping back to find what looked like ash on the ground. She frowned as she saw the ash continued in a line for as far as the eye could see, clearly being created by man. Why would there be a circle of ash in the jungle?
"Stop!" Kali exclaimed, as Locke stepped over the ash.
"What's wrong?" Locke questioned, as she grabbed his arm and pulled him back to other side of the ash.
"We shouldn't go that way" She advised.
"The cabin should be just here. If we go a little further—" Locke started, but Kali was quick to shake her head.
She then reached down to pick up some of the ash, twisting around to face Ben, who had been watching them intently. She had no doubt in her mind his people had made the circle of ash. But was it to keep something out...or keep something in?
"What is this? Why is it here?" Kali insisted, as Ben simply gave a shrug, amusement in his eyes.
"Fine. Maybe I should break the circle then" Kali suggested, backing up a step, and pressing a foot down on the circle.
She watched as Ben went still, obviously debating h'is options, before he nodded at Rousseau to take the rope away from his mouth. The older woman did this reluctantly, as the group waited to hear what he had to say.
"It keeps it out" Ben announced.
"It?" Kali questioned, as Ben quirked an eyebrow.
"I know little more than you, Kali. But if you break that circle there's a good chance we all die" Ben warned.
Kali pursed her lips, before crouching down on the grass, grabbing her pouch of water and dropping the contents onto the ground. She then carefully began picking up the ash with her fingers, careful to make sure she never broke the circle. She dropped the ash in her palm into the pouch, figuring it would be smart to keep some of it on her. If the creature was enough to scare Ben, then she needed a weapon against it.
"It doesn't matter, the plan's the same. We keep moving. The Barracks aren't far" Locke announced.
"If Charlotte's team is with Jack's group, they know we're going to the Barracks" Rousseau warned.
"Yeah, and Red here was wearing a vest. Which means her posse's gonna come expecting themselves a gun fight" Sawyer advised, as Kali nodded, knowing he was right.
"If all they want is her, maybe we should just let her go? I mean, I thought we were just gonna' go hide. Why do we need to take prisoners?" Hurley inquired.
"She's a hostage, Hugo" Locke pointed out, as Hurley's mouth went slack.
"Nuh uh, no, that's not what I signed up for" Hurley said, shaking his head vehemently.
"What did you sign up for, Hugo?" Locke huffed.
"Look, I'm just saying that if we let her go, they'll look at is as a sign of good faith" Hurley suggested, as Locke went to take a step closer to him.
"They'll look at it as an act of foolishness, which is what it would be" Locke stated, which Kali couldn't help but agree with.
"I'm just trying to come up with some kind of compromise—" Hurley was quickly cut off by Locke.
"We're beyond compromise. And right now, Hugo, I'm making the decisions. Is that going to be a problem for you?" Locke asked, looming over the shorter man, a challenge in his eyes.
Click.
Locke froze when he heard the unmistakable sound of a gun's safety being taken off close to his ear, turning to the right to find Kali holding a gun an inch from his head. He had never doubted Kali's ability to pull the trigger on a gun, and he certainly wasn't going to start now.
"Go on. Threaten Hurley again" Kali suggested, as Locke's eyes darted between her and the gun.
"You know I'm right, Kali" Locke retorted.
"And so is Hurley. Look, these people have been here for less than a day and they've already managed to tear us apart. Stop making it so goddamn easy for them! We're supposed to be a team. And quite frankly, John, you're no leader" Kali explained, watching hurt flash over Locke's face.
"It would be easier to believe what you're saying if you didn't have a gun pointed at my head" Locke huffed.
"It's not loaded" Kali admitted, taking the clip out of her pocket, which she had removed early that morning, surprising Locke.
"You might piss me off, but you're one of us. And to me, that actually means something" Kali told him.
"What a heartwarming speech" Ben mocked, making Kali roll her eyes.
"You want me to come up with a more permanent solution to gagging him?" Sawyer offered, with a smirk.
"Don't tempt me" Kali replied.
Juliet crept through the jungle, with careful footsteps, trying to keep track of the trail she was following. Ken had snuck away from camp a few hours earlier, and she had been following him for almost as long. She had made a promise to keep the man in line, that was the only reason she wanted to keep him in her sights. Absolutely no other reason.
"You know, you're really bad at this" An amused voice mumbled, from above her, causing Juliet to let out a yelp, almost tripping over her own feet.
Her eyes darted up to find Ken sitting on a high branch some metres above her head, a cheshire grin on his face. How on earth he had managed to get up that high without her hearing, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. Had he known she was following him the whole time?
"Showing off again, Ken?" Juliet exclaimed, as he gave a small shrug.
He then pushed off from the branch, hurtling toward the ground, and landing perfectly beside her. She rolled her eyes as he gave her a smug look as if expecting a round of applause for his ridiculous behaviour.
"Stalking me again, Jules?" Ken grinned, beginning to walk off.
"Just trying to keep you in line" Juliet clarified, making him scoff.
"Sooo…you and Jack? Should I be jealous?" Ken inquired, as Juliet quirked an eyebrow.
"I don't really see it as any of your business" Juliet stated, as Ken placed a hand over his chest, above his heart.
"You wound me. Seriously, my heart is bleeding right now" Ken told her.
"I'm sure you'll survive" Juliet scoffed, with an amused smile.
"…Look, I just…I know what it's like to be someone's second best, alright? It's shit. And you deserve better than that" Ken explained, confusing Juliet.
"C'mon, we've both seen the way the good doctor looks at Kate. It's vomit-inducing, really" Ken went on, as Juliet pursed her lips.
"Jack's a good man" Juliet pointed out, as Ken nodded.
"He's also got a bit of a stick up his arse, but hey, none of us are perfect" Ken shrugged, making Juliet huff.
"Except you, I suppose?" Juliet suggested.
"Me? I'm a whole different level of fucked up, Jules. I'm lucky I've got my good looks" Ken exclaimed, as she couldn't stop the laugh that left her lips.
Just as Ken opened his mouth to speak, they heard a familiar voice calling after them, twisting around to find Desmond racing toward them. Ken let out a long sigh, having hoped to spend the rest of the trek to Jack alone with Juliet. At least she knew how to have a laugh.
"Room for one more?" Desmond grinned when he saw Ken's despondent look.
"Well, seeing as I don't have my gun…why not?" Ken replied, earning a nudge from Juliet.
Kali kept her eyes fixed on the window in front of her, searching for any sign of movement from the treeline. They had finally made it to the barracks a few hours ago, splitting up into small groups to scope out the area and to begin cleaning up the houses which had been left in disarray. Kali was on high alert, expecting Charlotte's people to come rushing toward the houses any moment, weapons raised in the air. She was beginning to question whether she had made the right decision in bringing the group there.
"Water's still hot" Sawyer mumbled from behind her, as she twisted around to find him exiting the bathroom, a towel hanging loosely around his waist, chest dripping with water.
"It's not the only thing that's hot" Kali giggled, making Sawyer snort as he made his way over to her, running a hand through his wet hair.
"Flirt" He grinned, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips, hands coming to rest on her hips.
"Hmm, I can barely recognise you without that layer of sweat and dirt" She mocked, as he pressed his body flush against her own, backing her up against the window.
"So, what do you think?" Sawyer inquired, gesturing to the house.
"It's very...yellow" Kali responded, as he raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I'm sure I can find some paint lying around here. And you haven't even seen our bedroom yet" Sawyer smirked, grabbing her hands and pulling her toward the room.
"James, c'mon. Charlotte's people could be right outside—" Kali began, but he was quick to stop her.
"If they were here, they would have attacked already" Sawyer suggested.
"Doesn't really fill me with confidence" Kali huffed, as they arrived at the doorway to the bedroom.
"...The bed does look good though" Kali exclaimed, after a few seconds, a smirk pulling on her own lips.
"Makes a change from sleeping on the beach, right?" Sawyer insisted, pulling her into the room.
"Considering that I spent like a year sleeping on the streets, I'd be happy with just a mattress" Kali pointed out.
"Well, when we get off this island, you and me are gonna' get an apartment, with a queen-size bed...screw that, king-size bed, with central heating" Sawyer told her, making her laugh.
"You sure know how to treat a girl" Kali giggled, pushing him toward the bed, as he flopped down onto the mattress.
"I certainly do" Sawyer grinned, grabbing her hips and pulling her down to straddle his waist.
Kali bit her lip as he began trailing kisses down her jaw, nipping at the skin of her neck every so often, leaving his mark behind. His hands made quick work of the shirt she was wearing, unbuttoning the first few buttons, before tugging it over her shoulders. Kali then pushed her hands against his chest, pushing him down to lie on the bed, followed by her lips kissing their way down his chest. Water was still dripping down his abdomen as she continued her descent down, only stopping once she reached the towel which had been dragged down, the v-line of his hips on display.
"I really need a shower" Kali mumbled, suddenly pushing herself to her feet, causing Sawyer to groan.
He watched as she exited the room, pushing himself back onto his elbows, heart still beating quickly in his chest. A certain part of his anatomy had grown very excited at the way their interaction was heading. His eyes flickered up when he saw something being thrown toward him, his mouth going slack when he found Kali's bra had landed on his lap.
"You coming or what?" Kali's smug voice rung out, as Sawyer all but jumped to his feet, following her without another word to the bathroom.
Hurley stayed where he sat on the porch of one of the houses, playing with a blade of grass in his hands, just like he had been for the last hour. Everyone had split off into groups. Some pairs, some threes. But they had all seemed to subconsciously come together to form their new community. Everyone but him. He thought about asking Claire if he could stay with her, but the thought of Aaron crying all night was enough to have him changing his mind. Locke was on his own too, but then again, Locke was a little too...murdery for Hurley's taste. He had instinctively thought to search for Charlie before he remembered.
That left him on his own in a house that was way too big and quiet. How did people live alone? It had only been a few hours and Hurley was bored to death. His eyes kept darting to the house that Kali and Sawyer had claimed for themselves. Kali had been standing in the window for a while, waving at him when she spotted him, but he hadn't seen her for a while now. Besides, he didn't want to interrupt their 'honeymoon'. Sawyer seemed over the moon at the chance to get Kali all to himself for once. It's not like they were—
"That grass putting up much of a fight?" A voice mumbled from behind him, as Hurley jumped out of his skin.
"Don't do that! Jesus!" Hurley gaped, turning to find Kali approaching him, Sawyer following close behind.
"It's Kali, but hey, whatever works for you" Kali shrugged, smugly, coming to sit on one side of him.
"I see his jokes are rubbing off on you" Hurley muttered, gesturing toward Sawyer.
"That's not all that's rubbing..." Sawyer trailed off, when he saw the death glare Kali gave him.
"Why are you moping out here?" Kali inquired, as Sawyer came to sit on the other side of Hurley.
"I'm not moping" He retorted, as she poked his cheek with her finger.
"That's definitely your moping face" She insisted.
"Sulking more like" Sawyer added.
"You know, I think I preferred it when you two were arguing all the time" Hurley complained, dropping his chin onto his hands.
"Oh, we still do that. We just make out at the end" Sawyer grinned, as Kali shook her head, fondly.
"Can I like...not be in-between you two if you're gonna' look at each other like that?" Hurley huffed.
"Oh. I'm guessing you wouldn't be interested in moving in with us then?" Kali suggested, as Hurley's eyes grew wide.
"Wh...wait, are you serious?" Hurley gaped, as Kali nodded.
"We need someone to keep us in line, don't we—" Kali began, cut off when Hurley was suddenly lunging at her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.
"Dude, you will not regret this!" Hurley grinned, hugging her tight to his chest.
"Alright, rule number one. Hugging is kept to a minimum..." Sawyer trailed off, resigning to his fate when Hurley was bounding over to him a second later, wrapping his arms around him, picking the taller man off the ground.
Looking over Hurley's shoulder toward Kali, Sawyer shook his head fondly, hugging his friend back. Kali's smile grew as she watched the interaction, thinking of how it was Sawyer who had suggested that Hurley moved in with them. He would never admit it, but somehow Hurley had become his best friend.
"Guys!" Alex's voice rang out, causing the group to twist around to face her.
"What's wrong?" Kali frowned, seeing the concern etched over her features.
"It's your friends. Kate and Sayid. They brought one of 'them'. Locke has them" Alex informed them, as Kali turned to share a look with Sawyer, who instantly nodded.
If Locke had done anything to their friends...
Alex was quick to lead her to where John had locked up Sayid and Kate, having handcuffed them to a radiator in the common room. The older man had run off with his new prisoner, no doubt trying to beat answers out of him at that very moment. She watched how Kate let out a sigh of relief when Kali entered the room. Sayid pushed himself onto his feet, raising an eyebrow as he gestured to his cuffed wrist.
"You haven't got yourself out of that yet?" Kali asked, as a smirk grew on Sayid's lips.
He then gave a small tug on the rung of the radiator the cuff was attached to, revealing he had already pulled it apart from the wall. Kali then pulled out the key that Alex had gifted her, which would release them from their cuffs. Still, when Locke found out she had released his prisoners, she doubted he'd be happy.
"What are you two doing here?" Kali inquired, unlocking Sayid's cuffs first.
"We need the woman you have. Charlotte" Sayid admitted.
"Why?" Kali frowned.
"Because if I return her, these people will take me to their ship" Sayid exclaimed, as Kali's frown deepened.
"You've actually seen it then? They have a way off this island?" Kali pushed, as she moved to release Kate from her cuffs.
"A helicopter. You've got to listen to him, Kali. Sayid knows what he's doing" Kate insisted.
"If we release Charlotte then we lose our one piece of leverage" Kali pointed out, as Sayid shook his head.
"We trade. You give me Charlotte, and you get to keep Miles" Sayid explained.
"The man you brought with you? What's he like then?" Kali questioned.
"Annoying" Sayid replied, making her snort.
"Sounds like he'll fit right into the group then" Kali joked.
"...How's everyone back on the beach?" Kali couldn't help but ask.
"Your brother is fine. Juliet is looking out for him" Sayid told her, knowing what she was really asking.
"He's not getting into too much trouble?" Kali inquired.
"Well, he hasn't killed anyone yet" Kate scoffed.
"He's making progress then" Kali shrugged, as she and Sayid shared an amused look.
"You're sure Locke's going to agree with this plan?" Kate questioned.
"Locke's not in charge here. And as soon as he realises that, the better" Kali muttered.
"So, why are you going after Jack? You're not going to leave this island without your sister" Desmond stated, as they left the treeline and entered a clearing.
"I have a crush on Jack. Oh, wait...that's you, isn't it, Jules?" Ken teased, making Juliet roll her eyes.
"He thinks these people are dangerous. I'm guessing he wants to figure out just how much" Juliet explained, as Desmond nodded.
"And I'm guessing you're coming, Des, so you can get back to your precious girlfriend. Didn't take you long to realise Kal's just not that into you, huh?" Ken mocked, as Desmond gave him a side eye.
"Are you capable of not being an asshole for five minutes?" Juliet scoffed, as Ken gave a small shrug.
"It's all part of my charm" Ken replied, causing Juliet to shake her head, a fond smile on her lips.
"Hey, look!" Desmond exclaimed, pointing ahead, to where they could spot a group of people in the distance.
Juliet's smile instantly turned to a grin as she spotted the blue helicopter not far away, hardly able to believe her own eyes. It had been so long since she felt hope. Hope that she would finally be able to leave the island. She turned to Ken, the smile faltering as she saw how he had tensed, any amusement gone from his features. Her eyes flickered down to see him taking a vial out of his pocket, a strange substance inside, almost looking like ash. He then poured a small amount on his palms, following Desmond who was already rushing forward.
"What are you guys doing here?" Jack called out, his eyes staying on Juliet, alone.
"We were worried about you" Juliet confessed, as two other men came into view.
Ken instantly began to look over the men, trying to decipher whether they were a threat. The first man must have been around forty, a grey beard covering most of his jaw, his white shirt dirty, stained with a small amount of blood. He stiffened a little when he spotted Ken, who guessed he must have known his true identity. The other man appeared scittish, far skinnier, pratically oozing nervousness. He didn't seem to be able to meet Ken's eyes either.
"Who're you friends, Jack?" Desmond questioned.
"Daniel Faraday, Frank Lapidus, meet—" Jack began, but Daniel, the smaller man, cut him off first.
"Ken Dixon. We've heard a lot about you" Daniel murmured, eyes narrowed.
"All good I hope?" Ken replied.
"Not exactly" Frank scoffed, coming to stand next to Daniel, in what appeared to be a protective gesture.
"Why did you bring him?" Jack asked Juliet, who quirked an eyebrow.
"He's Kali's brother. And she trusts him. That should mean something, shouldn't it?" Juliet pointed out, as Jack gave her a look of disbelief.
"And do you? Trust him now?" Jack insisted, as Juliet seemed to mull over his words.
"He's always been honest with me, Jack" Juliet retorted, missing how Ken's lips twitched into a smile.
"You people do realise he's a murderer? And a sick son of a bitch at that" Frank gaped.
"And how is it you know so much about me, mate?" Ken inquired.
"Aye, he's got a point. Naomi told me you people were hired by Penelope Widmore. Is that true?" Desmond pushed, coming in between the two men.
"Who?" Frank questioned.
"No more bullshit, brother. Now, you look me in the eye and tell me you've never seen or heard of Penelope Widmore" Desmond all but ordered, as Frank shared a split second look with Daniel.
"Fine. You don't want to tell me? I'll find someone who will. See when that takes off, I'm on it" Desmond announced.
"Des, not sure that's your best idea—" Ken started, but Desmond stopped him quickly.
"No offence, Ken, but I don't really care what you think" Desmond muttered, as the younger man clamped his mouth shut.
"Fine. You want to get yourself killed, be my guest" Ken huffed, with a shake of his head.
"No one's killing anyone. Can we all just...just taking a second to breathe here? We're all on the same side" Daniel exclaimed.
"What did you say your name was?" Ken frowned.
"Daniel. Daniel Faraday. Why?" He replied, as Ken's eyes widened a fraction.
"Faraday...of course you are" Ken mumbled to himself, confusing Juliet.
"Look, if you think I'm taking that guy off island, you've got another thing coming" Frank told Jack, firmly.
"Hey, Lapidus?" Ken called out, as the older man turned back to him.
"Yeah?" He answered, crossing his arms.
Juliet's jaw dropped open as she watched Ken slap the man in the face, none too lightly either. Frank stumbled back in shock, clutching at his reddened cheek, frowning when he pulled away to find a fine grey powder coating his palm. Juliet sprang into action instinctively, grabbing Ken's arm and hauling him backwards, getting in between the two before Frank could react.
"What the hell are you doing?" Juliet hissed, looking down to see some of the powder Ken had smeared onto his hands was still there.
"What? The guy's got a slappable face" Ken shrugged, as Juliet gave him a warning look.
"Keep that son of a bitch away from me" Frank all but growled.
"Alright, alright. I'm sorry...next time, I'll make sure I break your nose" Ken grinned, as Juliet began dragging him away.
"Little bastard" Frank muttered, as Daniel began to fuss over him, clearly concerned for his friend.
"Juliet. Get him out of here" Jack ordered, as Juliet quickly nodded, her jaw clenched tightly.
"Hey, I swear that guy is not with us. Trust me, he's not with anyone" Jack tried to apologise to Frank, as Juliet continued pulling them out of earshot, surprised to see Ken appeared a little hurt by his words.
"Jesus. You just can't help yourself, can you—" Juliet began, when Ken suddenly grabbed her hand, placing the vial of grey substance onto her palm.
"It doesn't matter how you do it. Just make sure you get some of that on Faraday's skin. Then we'll know for sure" Ken whispered, as Juliet's face contorted in confusion.
"Know what?" She asked.
"If that's the real Daniel Faraday. Cause' if it's not, and we let him get on that helicopter...we're dead. All of us" Ken insisted, as he closed Juliet's hand around the vial, before turning on his heel, presumedly to walk back to camp.
"Ken, wait...I...I don't understand" Juliet exclaimed, as he twisted around, giving her a small smile.
"I guess I trust you too, Jules" Ken admitted, as her eyes softened a little, a decision being made in her mind.
What had Ken got her into now?
Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! My apologies if there are many mistakes in this chapter as I'm sick right now, so my writing might be off. Please leave a review:)
Guest: Thank you! I have posted this story on AO3 but nobody seemed to read it:(
Guest: Thank you for reviewing:) I'm glad you're enjoying all the character interactions, more to come soon!
M: Thank you so much! It's going really fast, especially seeing as Season 4 is a shorter season, we'll be into Season 5 before we know it!
scripturient321: Thank you for the review:) I'm glad you're warming to Ken, as he does have a very important part to play in the season!
