Chapter 7

AN: Thanks again for reviewing. :). Anyways, what happens to Kate is gonna be totally anti-climactic. Hehe. For a while, anyways... this chapter is going to be pretty emotionally charged.

And it's shortish, I apologize. The things I have planned for the next chapter just didn't fit in with what was going on here. Sorry!

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Kate woke up feeling completely refreshed. She was lying unbound on a comfortable leather chair, much like one that would be found at a dentist's office. She flexed her limbs experimentally, thinking back to the last thing she remembered... just being pulled into the room she was in now and a slight prick at her neck.

"Ah, Ms. Austen," Henry Gale looked up from the sheaf of papers he was leafing through at his desk. "Good to see you awake," he said, eyeing her with satisfaction.

Kate's feeling of general contentment evaporated at the sight of him. "What did you do to me?"

Henry shrugged. "You'll find out on your own in due time."

Kate just gave him a horrified look and sat up abruptly, feeling panic overtake her. "Where are Sawyer and Jack?" She looked around, as if they were hiding somewhere in the room.

"I'll have someone escort you to them." Henry got up and opened the door to reveal two guards waiting. They took her by either arm and started to lead her away. "Enjoy the time you have with them while it lasts," he said with the utmost glee, "because it won't."

Kate paled considerably. "How long?" she asked, like a patient who was terminally ill asking how long they had to live.

"Two weeks. Maybe three," he said indifferently as they dragged her away. "Only until we know the experiment has been a success."

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Alex wandered back to camp in a complete daze. Her conversation with Danielle… the woman who believed so completely that she was Alex's mother… the thought still boggled her mind.

Alex wasn't really sure what to believe… it was hard to throw away sixteen years of history with her people. There were people she had seen every day for as long as she could remember- people who had been like parents, siblings, friends. She knew that if she told Henry about Danielle he would deny it, punish her for leaving camp and have Danielle killed. And what on earth would she say anyways? By the way, Henry, I was just wondering if everything you ever told me about my parentage was a lie. Is my mother really a crazy French woman and did you take me away from her when I was barely a week old? Oh, and we're low on guavas, shall I go pick some?

Alex sighed. She still had her doubts, but some part of her knew that Danielle was telling the truth… and that disturbed her greatly. The way the woman had spoken about her past… recalling her shipwreck and the details of Alex's own capture sixteen years ago in great detail left little room for doubt. It was as if it had been all she thought about for all those years.

No, this was definitely going to take some more discreet nosing around. And she was going to have to do it quickly. That woman… Kate… what they were doing to her seemed to be worse and worse to Alex with every passing minute. She could see how her own organization had ruined lives, and she wasn't sure that what they were doing was in the right anymore.

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Kate felt worse than she ever had throughout her entire ordeal. It was terrible… she felt like she was going to be violently ill and she wanted to scream and cry and she had no doubts that if someone handed her an opportunity and a gun, she would kill Henry Gale. His uttered warning… a time limit with the two men in the whole wide world seemed to be worse than just killing them or taking them away right then. Because now, no matter how good their time together was, every single moment, every word, every action, was shadowed by a feeling of complete and utter helplessness. They were doomed, in every sense of the word.

Her armed escorts stopped at last in front of a rust tinged white door, and for the umpteenth time, Kate was pushed inwards, towards the best and worst things in the world.

The sight of the room and all its modern conveniences took her breath away. It was like the hatch, only smaller, and it contained one very solemn looking Jack. Kate felt her breath catch in her throat at the absence of someone very important. "Where's Sawyer?"

Jack's neck snapped around, eyes wide in shock. He had been so absorbed in his own misery he hadn't heard Kate come in. "Kate! He exclaimed getting up from what served as their kitchen table and rushing to hug her. She squeezed back hard for a moment but then sniffed and pulled away, looking at him urgently. "Where is Sawyer?" she asked again, on the verge of tears.

Jack looked disappointed for split second. "In the shower."

Kate exhaled the breath she was holding in, feeling vastly relieved. She glanced around the room and sunk onto the couch, trying her very hardest not to think about what Henry had said. Just the idea of placing a limit on her time with Jack and Sawyer was awful. She just stared straight ahead and tried not to move, trying to get a hold of herself again.

"Kate," Jack said quietly, "what did they do this time?"

She just shrugged. "I don't know. They knocked me out."

Jack started bustling around her, checking for signs of injury. "Jack!" Kate snapped. "Stop it. I'm fine."

Jack straightened up, taken aback. "Sorry- we were just really worried, Kate."

Kate drew her knees up to her chest and didn't say anything. She didn't know what had triggered her change in mood. She suddenly felt petulant and angry with Jack for no apparent reason, whereas fifteen minutes ago she would have killed to have five more minutes with him. There were so many things she wanted to say in case she never got a chance to say them- things she didn't want to admit to herself. Like how she was sorry, because no matter how hard they tried or how much she wanted it, they could never be together.

Kate's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a door opening and a slightly damp Sawyer walking out, wearing only his jeans. "Doc," he said, not noticing the little ball that was Kate curled up on the couch. "You found any clothes yet?"

"Sawyer?" Kate uttered, getting up and turning to face him.

A similar sense of overwhelming relief flooded Sawyer at the sight of the scruffy woman in front of him. "Katie," he said gruffly, opening his arms and reluctantly letting emotion overtake him. She had been gone barely three hours, but the uncertainty and change of setting made it feel like a lifetime.

In a split second she was in his arms, finally letting the waterfall of tears she had been holding back for the last week and a half overtake. She sobbed inconsolably into his chest while he rocked her back and forth and stroked her hair and whispered quietly to her.

Jack looked on, feeling a profound sense of loss, and quietly retreated into the bedroom.

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Earlier

Danielle drifted towards her daughter, staring in wonder. Sure, sixteen years alone on an island in the middle of nowhere would loosen a few screws in anyone's head… but this… the girl before her, was her own flesh and blood. Rousseau reached out and traced the contours of Alex's face, marveling at their similarities.

Alex flinched slightly but didn't back away. It was all very hard to take in; all the common sense in her was screaming that this was some sort of a plot- this woman was crazy, and the man with her just wanted to use her to get to Jack and Sawyer and Kate. That part was probably true, but what if this woman was really her mother? Nobody could act that well, and the possibility was too large to dismiss.

Sayid looked on with interest. It was… nice to witness a moment like that. Alex looked uncomfortable but distinctly curious as Rousseau wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug.

"Danielle," Sayid said quietly. "Perhaps you should explain some things to Alex."

Rousseau let go of her daughter. "Yes, yes, I should."

Alex sat on a fallen log as Danielle began to recount her tale… it was so harrowing. It must have been awful for this woman to lose her child… how they had taken the baby and then her team, her husband, Alex's father had gotten sick and died. And if that child was her, well, that was a possibility she didn't want to consider yet.

When she finished, Alex got up and looked, panicky, from side to side, feeling overwhelmed. "I- I have to go…"

Danielle's face fell slightly.

Sayid decided to intervene. "Alex, you have a lot to think about. Perhaps we should meet again in a few days time."

"Yeah," Alex said quietly. "Yeah, that would be good."

"Three days," Sayid said, and Alex nodded, taking another look at them before bolting back towards her camp.

"Alex!" Rousseau called after her in anguish, making to follow her. Sayid caught her. "Danielle, it's alright. She will come back, I promise."

Danielle collapsed into sobs; something Sayid had never seen her do. He held her like it was the most natural thing on earth until she relaxed somewhat.

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Present

Sawyer pulled Kate onto the little couch, letting her indulge herself in a fit of hot tears. "It's ok, Freckles. You're ok. I'm ok."

Kate sniffed and looked up, wiping her eyes. "Sorry- I just- I don't know." She was so relieved to be back with Sawyer.

"'S ok, baby. But I already had a shower, you know," he said, jesting. Kate smiled a little and hiccupped. "Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"You might think about havin' one too," he said, wrinkling his nose at her and smiling.

"Shush," she scolded, distinctly aware of her own griminess, "I'm going."

"I'm not invited?" he asked, pretending to be hurt.

"You already showered," she reminded him teasingly.

"Damn. Well, next time I'll wait for you," he waggled his eyebrows and Kate laughed, something he hadn't heard her do in ages. His chest swelled a little to know he could make her laugh, even in the mother of all situations.

She got up and made off towards the bathroom, but Sawyer caught her gently by the wrist. "Katie," he murmured. "You ok?" he asked, meaning to inquire about her recent absence. She had seemed fine upon entering… but upon closer inspection he noticed something different, almost worse than physical harm. An extra measure of sadness had been added to her eyes, making her look haunted and anxious.

"Yeah," she lied, "I'm fine." She felt so grateful to him, for his support even while Jack was being a jealous bastard. Kate couldn't think of any words to express her feelings… and she felt guilty that she hadn't told him what Henry had sad… so she just leaned forwards and kissed him fervently.

Kate felt her knees weaken as Sawyer took some initiative and coaxed her mouth open, sweeping his tongue luxuriously across her bottom teeth. It seemed he had found some toothpaste, because his mouth was minty, cool and something that was uniquely Sawyer. His hands came up to either side of her face to feel her soft skin and mussed locks.

She broke away for lack of air, but didn't open her eyes. She just stood there with a smile and bit her lip like she did when she was worried or pleased and slightly embarrassed. Sawyer sincerely hoped it was the latter. "Still not invited to that shower?" he asked huskily.

"Nope," she said, padding away and leaving Sawyer with nothing but a raging hard-on and a sincere wish for another shower... this time a cold one.

He sighed, got up and went to investigate their new flat. They had a tiny pantry, stocked with Dharma Initiative canned goods, boxes and local fruit. Nothing of interest, really. Sawyer pushed aside several cans of condensed milk, looking for something sweet.

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Kate turned on the lights in their tiny bathroom and gazed around. It wasn't much; just a shower, toilet and sink crammed into a few square meters of space. She started the water and started to peel the grimy clothing she had been wearing unwashed for the last two weeks off. What a sight she must have been in their clean, almost overly sterile lodgings. Her face and arms were caked with dirt and the rest of her wasn't looking much better.

She hadn't been eating well for anxiety, and it showed. It wasn't for lack of food; she just had no appetite. Every single one of her ribs was disturbingly prominent and her face was hollow and gaunt. A fresh surge of anger flooded her anew, at everyone, everything, for the bastards here who had done god-only-knows to her. But the most disturbing thing, she reflected, was that it was all her fault for making the choices she had made to land her on this god forsaken hell hole. All her fault.

She threw her clothes and Sawyer's shirt, which had been carelessly dropped onto the floor into the shower to get the stench out of them. Then she stepped in herself, turned the water as hot as it would go and tried to scrub every inch of dirt and loathing and fear and hatred from her body until her skin was red raw and hot, angry tears flowed down her cheeks, camouflaged by the cascade of water.

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AN: Kate angst, Jack angst, Sawyer not-so-much angst. Family reunions, milk, and cold showers. What a ragtag chapter that was. Only the last bit really flowed. I hope it's not too bad. I know you still haven't found out what the others did to Kate, but I didn't want to rush it. It wouldn't be realistic and I didn't want to speed the story along too much.

Review. Please. I love you…!