Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad at least a few people are enjoying my story. Here is the next chapter.

Chapter 5

Trouble

Kate felt Jack's body slowly lift off of her. Is it gone? She couldn't open her eyes to look. What if it took Jack! No, I would have heard him yell… Kate waited a few more minutes and then she opened her eyes and looked up.

The five plane crash survivors and the one other sat waiting and waiting in the caves. It was almost dark and Jack still hadn't shown up. Desmond had told them all that had happened in the underwater hatch. Some had cried and others just sat around and didn't utter a word.

"That's it!" Sawyer rose from where he had been sitting against a cave wall and exclaimed. "I'm leaving." He pulled out the gun he had put in the back of his denims then started walking towards the path back to the beach.

"Jack will be here," Juliet said.

"Well I won't be."

"Ford, just sit down. We don't know how far out he was. He could be miles from here. Who knows where that radio tower is?"

"You should know, Miss. Other." Sawyer scowled.

Juliet stared at him with those deep blue eyes, "I knew there was such a thing but I never saw it. It could be anywhere. We just need to be patient."

Sayid stood up and faced Hurley who hadn't said a word since hearing the news of Charlie's death, "Did Jack say anything about his location when you spoke to him?"

"No." Hurley shook his head.

"That's because he was probably already on the rescue boat!" Sawyer snapped.

"James, that's enough!" Juliet yelled.

"Don't call me that!"

"You need to stay here."

"You gonna try and stop me, Blondie?"

"Did you even listen to a word I said before?" Desmond suddenly got to his feet.

"Yeah, the has-been wrote on his hand "Not Perry's Boat", so what! What's that supposed to mean anyway?"

"Her name is Penny!" Desmond shouted in his Scottish accent. "Naomi lied to us! She told me that she was working for Penny and that Penny had a boat searching for me. I saw Penny on the TV screen just before Charlie shut the door and the water started pouring in. I saw Penny just before Charlie died. Naomi lied, I know it!"

"And Jack said there was no rescue," Sayid added.

"Believe what ya'll want. I'm going to get rescued with or without you," Sawyer said.

"Sawyer… Don't leave!" Jin spoke up.

Sawyer waved him off as he disappeared behind the trees.

"Just let him go. He doesn't care about anyone but himself."

"Stupid, selfish hick, " Hurley said and then went back to staring at the wall he had been staring at for two and a half hours.

Kate opened her eyes and looked up to see Jack standing there in a daze. The "monster" was nowhere to be seen and the rain had stopped once again. A tear fell from Jack's eye.

What happened?

Kate's attention suddenly went to her ankle. It doesn't hurt! The intense pain she had felt only moments ago was completely gone, "Jack!"

Jack turned to face her immediately.

"My ankle, you said it was sprained?"

"A-as best as I could tell." He was still a bit out of it.

"It doesn't hurt anymore."

Jack knelt down and took her foot in his hands, "Move it to the right." Kate moved her foot to the right. "Anything?" He looked at her.

"Nothing."

"How about the left?" Kate moved it to the left.

"It feels fine. It's like I had never even hurt it at all."

Jack put his hand out when Kate started to stand, "Let me help you up."

"Jack, there is no sprain. I feel fine." Kate took his hand anyway and they stood together. She didn't let go of him as she searched his tear dried eyes. He kept looking anywhere but at her. "What happened?" She asked.

"I guessed wrong about your ankle."

"No, what happened to that thing?"

"It left." He avoided her eyes again.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing… I looked at it and then it just… Left."

He wasn't telling her something, Kate could feel it.

Jack let go of her hands, "Now that your ankle is okay, we should get moving again. Hopefully we will make it there before it gets too dark." He adjusted the pack on his back and started walking.

"Jack, wait." Kate looked in every direction then settled her eyes on what she was sure was the right way to go, "This way." She pointed the opposite way he was headed.

"No." Jack kept moving his way.

"I'm sure it's this way, Jack, since when do you know where to go?"

"Trust me, it's this way." He kept moving.

Kate stood her ground. What has gotten into him? She tried to protest again, "Jack…"

"Kate, damnit! Will you just listen to me for once?" Jack snapped.

Kate didn't know what to say. She was taken aback from Jack's unexpected outburst. She looked at him, wanting to shout something back, anything, but she couldn't. He's right… I never do listen to him.

Jack hadn't meant to snap at her. It had just happened. He watched as she stood there, silent. Say something… He couldn't explain to her what he knew and how he knew. She would think I'm crazy.

Kate started walking towards him. Oh great… Here it comes, another fight. She came closer and closer. Jack was caught completely off guard when Kate looked at him and walked right past him in the direction he had said was the right way.

"You better be right about this," was all she said as Jack walked up beside her.

"There it is!" Stenson shouted as he pointed to the beach covered with what looked like tents through the dim night.

"Perfect." Cooper grinned as the small boat filled with twelve men steered towards it.

"Do you really think it's a trap?" Stenson asked.

"Could be." Cooper turned towards the rest of the men on board and addressed them, "When we get there, be ready for anything. It will be dark and they could have the advantage."

"What if it really isn't the Hostiles though?" Paiten asked. "What if that beach and those tents really do belong to the survivors of a plane crash?"

"I highly doubt it."

"But what if, sir?"

"We'll see when we get there, boy."

Sawyer stopped to rest. It was almost pitch black now as he pulled a water bottle out from his bag. He shook it and then cursed, "Son of a…" He had forgotten to fill it before he left. Only a few sips remained. He chugged the last bit down and then tossed the bottle to the side. I'll be drinking Champaign soon enough anyway. He stood up and stared walking again. Almost there.

He couldn't stop thinking about how great it would be to finally get back to the real world. Away from polar bears, jungle monsters, and crazy island inhabitants who enjoyed torturing you. He stopped suddenly when he thought about what he would be leaving behind… Kate.

Could I just leave her like that? The only woman I've ever really loved? Would it be that simple? Sawyer thought of maybe turning back. Kate could be with Jack if he really does show up… Or she could be snuggling up to him this very moment on the rescue boat… She always did feel something for Jack. No matter how hard he tried to think that she loved only him, that she even loved him at all, Sawyer knew Kate would choose the doctor. Who wouldn't choose a doctor over a stinkin con artist? Sawyer decided it was time to move on. He had no choice. It's time to forget about Freckles… Sawyer frowned and kept walking forward through the darkness.

"Jack, it's getting pretty dark, we should make a torch," Kate said.

"It'll slow us down. We need to keep moving." Jake waved her suggestion off.

"And not being able to see where we're going will slow us down even more."

"I know where we're going. We have to hurry. We don't have much time before…" Jack caught himself in mid sentence and closed his mouth.

"Before what?" Kate had heard him.

"It's nothing."

"Jack?" Kate stepped in front of him and looked into his eyes.

"Let's hurry and make a torch." He started to move but she grabbed his arm.

"Jack, what really happened back there? What did that thing do to you?"

He avoided her gaze as he said, "Nothing… It's nothing you would understand."

"Tell me the truth," she squeezed his arm. "What is going on?"

"Tell me what you were chasing; what made you break down so hard earlier?"

She let go of him and turned away, "I saw… a horse."

"A horse?"

"It's like it's following me or something..."

"How do you know this?"

"I've seen it before. Three times off the island and one time on."

"Off the island? You mean before the crash?"

She nodded.

"How do you know it's the same one?"

"I just do."

"I saw my dead father here."

"Jack, is that what it showed you?"

"No."

"Tell me what you saw back there." She pleaded with her eyes.

Jack turned and ran his hand through his short cropped hair and let out a sigh, "When I stood up and opened my eyes… I saw things from my life, from my past."

"Like what?'

"Moments in my life that I will never forget: my first fight, my first kiss, my first surgery, my marriage, the divorce, my father's face when I got him fired… Things like that. They were all like flashes before my eyes, moving through that thing's body. They went so fast but to me it seemed like an eternity," he looked around and paused for a minute. "Then it went to the crash. It felt like it was happening all over again… The smells, the sounds, the motions… The fear. And then it went back to showing moments again, but they were ones after the crash this time: when I met you, when you kissed me, when they shot you, when I thought I would never see you again, then when I did finally see you again… And when I saw you and…"

"Jack…" Kate tried to stop him from saying it.

Tears swelled in Jack's eyes, "When I saw you and Sawyer together," he avoided her eyes again. "I also saw when I was forced to the surgery on Ben and I told you to leave with him and to never return for me… Then when you came back anyway…"

"Jack, I…"

"I saw something else too."

"It doesn't matter anymore."

"Yes, Kate, it does. Something is going to happen to him."

"To who?"

"To Sawyer."

Kate gasped, "What do you mean?"

"I can't explain how I know this. I just do. That's why we need to hurry."

"Jack, what is going to happen to him?"

"I don't really know. All I know is that Sawyer is in trouble if we don't move fast."

Sawyer was about to emerge onto the beach when he heard voices.

"Check all the tents. They could be anywhere."

"What do you think happened here?"

"I don't know."

"Sir, I found something!"

Sawyer stopped and ducked down behind the trees when he saw people walking around.

Cooper and Stenson had been surveying the beach, along with the other men. It looked like there had been some kind of explosions set off in a couple of areas and there was a dharma van sitting in the middle of the sand with blood on the front. The van brought back memories from his childhood as he stared at it.

Paiten suddenly came running towards him with an object in his hands, "Sir, its proof!"

"What are you going on about?" Cooper looked at the young man with a frown.

"I found this in one of the tents!" He held a large piece of metal with excitement in his eyes. "It must have belonged to the plane."

"It's just a hunk of metal. It doesn't prove anything."

"But it's even got colors on it like a plane, Sir. Look at a lot of the stuff around here, a lot of the tents use pieces like this."

"Coop!" One of the men shouted from in the distance. "You have to see this!"

"What is it?" Cooper called.

"We've found bodies!"

"I have to go check this. Just face it, boy, they are liars." Cooper said to the young man and walked towards the shouts with Stenson at his side.

Sawyer wasn't sure if he should just go and introduce himself or stay in hiding until he was sure they were rescuers. They've got to be the rescue! They were talking about the plane… He couldn't make out every word they said but he knew they had to be the rescue and that they were looking for them.

Time to go back to civilization. Sawyer smiled and stepped out from behind the trees, "Hey, ya'll here to rescue me?" He shouted.

"Stop right there!" A man with a trim cut beard turned to face him and pulled out a gun. "Cooper!"

Cooper heard some shouts. He took one more glance at the seven dead bodies, some burnt and some bloodied, piled inside one of the tents. Who were these people? Were they hostiles or were they really plane crash survivors?

"Cooper!" Someone shouted again.

What is it now? He got up and hurried towards the shouts and saw Wesley Grimond pointing his gun at a dirty and exhausted looking blonde man.

"Lower the gun, Billy the Kid, I mean no harm." The blonde man said in a southern accent.

"Who are you?" Cooper asked as he shone his flashlight at the man.

"Are you the rescue?" the man asked.

"Rescue?"

"Yeah, the rescue! You deaf, Hoss?"

"Sir, I think he could be one of those plane…" Paiten started to say but he was cut off.

"Shut up, Paiten!" Cooper demanded and turned his attention back to the stranger,

"Tell me who you are."

"Are you Naomi's people here to rescue me or not?"

All the men had come now and surrounded them. They all looked at each other in confusion.

"How do you know Naomi?"

"So you are her people then?"

"Just answer my questions or we'll shoot." cooper was becoming extremely irritated.

"My name is Sawy- uh… James Ford." The man hesitated.

"And how do you know Naomi?"

"She crashed here or something and was trying to help us get rescued off this dang island."

"Who are us?"

"The plane crash survivors! You probably picked up the rest of em' already!"

"Oceanic flight 815?" Paiten asked.

"Yeah. Are you the rescue or not?"

Cooper wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't fully convinced just yet, "How many of you survived this crash?"

"About forty something… The number's changed a lot due to people dying and stuff. Look, I've answered your questions so how abouts you tell your gun happy friend here to lower stop aiming his trigger at me?"

"Stenson," Cooper said, ignoring the southern man, "go fetch the radio and get a hold of Lukas."

Sawyer suddenly got a bad feeling in his gut. Where have I heard that name before? He looked at all the men surrounding him and wondered why rescuers would carry guns. Do I still have mine? He reached behind his back and slowly felt under his shirt. His gun was still there.

"Hey! Get your hands where I can see them!" The man who had the gun still aimed at him ordered.

"Who are you people?" Sawyer asked as he got a grip on the gun.

"Never mind that! Let me see your hands!"

"Calm down, Wesley. I think they really are the survivors." The young man with blonde hair parted over his right eye said.

"Yeah, Wesley." Sawyer smirked.

"Shut up and do as I say!" Wesley yelled and stepped a few inches closer with the gun still pointed at Sawyer's chest.

Jack and Kate ran through the dark. They were almost there, Jack could feel it. He could hardly see where they were going but he didn't need to. They had to hurry. Kate was right behind him running just as fast.

"Jack, how do you know we're going the right way? I can't see a thing." Kate gasped through breaths.
Jack reached behind and took Kate's hand in his, "Just stay close."

"We should go after him!" Hurley shouted. "Sawyer could be in trouble!"

"Jiufioufjf, Sawyer!" Jin added in Korean.

"No, Jack said to stay here!" Sayid argued.

"Jack also said Live Together Die Alone!"

"Sawyer doesn't even care about you, why should you care about him?" Juliet asked.

"I just don't want anyone else dying! I'm sick of losing friends on this island!" Hurley exclaimed.

No one said anything. They were all quiet in the dark caves as the water from the waterfall fell.

"Sawyer!" They all turned at the sound of Jack's voice.

"Jack?" Juliet called.

Jack appeared out of the darkness with Kate at his side. They were both covered in mud, cut up, and looking worn out. Juliet noticed they were holding hands and a tinge of jealousy swelled up inside of her. What happened between the two of them out there?
Juliet quickly ran up to Jack and embraced him in a huge hug, forcing the linked hands to separate. He hugged her back, but not in the way she had hoped he would. He hurriedly let go and moved to address the others all crowding around.

"Where is everyone?" Hurley asked.

"Where is Sawyer?" Jack seemed to avoid Hurley's question.

"He left."

"Left? Where did he go?" Kate asked in a rush.

"He took off back to the beach. He didn't believe your story and stormed off thinking he would be rescued there," Sayid explained.

"What happened, Jack?" Juliet asked.

"We need to go now!" Jack shouted and headed for the path that led to the beach.

"Jack, where is Rose?" Bernard asked, grabbing a hold of Jack's arm.

"Sun?" Jin added.

"Look, I'll explain everything later but right now we need to get to that beach. Sawyer is in danger."

Lukas listened as Cooper explained what they had discovered at the beach, "And there's something else, Sir." He said over the radio.

"What?" Lukas listened.

"We found someone. He says he's from the plane as well. His name is James Ford."

Lukas gestured towards Marcus and Marcus hurried over to him, "Yes?" He asked.

"Bring me Claire. I need to ask her something."

Marcus nodded and went to fetch the small woman and her baby.

"Lukas?" Cooper asked.

"I'm still here, just hold on a sec."

Marcus was back and with the beautiful Australian woman right by his side wearing a frown upon her face.

"Hello, Claire." Lukas smiled.

"What do you want?" She snapped.

"No need to be sassy, I need to ask you something, Darling."

"What is it?" She asked as she cradled the sleeping baby boy in her arms.

"Does the name James Ford sound familiar?"

Claire thought for a moment and then looked up at him, "No."

"He wasn't from your supposed plane?"

"I don't think so… Why?"

"You can go now, Darling. Thank you."

"I am not your Darling!" Claire scowled as Marcus led her and her child back to the other people.

Lukas lifted the radio back to his mouth, "Kill him." He said to Cooper and then turned it off with a grin.

Ok, I hope you liked it... And I know Sawyer is kind of annoying in this chapter but I actually really love Sawyer's character, so don't think I don't like him or anything... I just thought that he would probably do something like this... It seemed like a Sawyer thing...

Tomorrow's my birthday, so please make me even more happy by leaving great reviews... You Rock!