Melissa sat, braiding vines into stronger rope and waiting for the water to boil. Occasionally she would look out over the water and sigh. She still was debating whether or not to tell Jackson how she felt. She knew sooner or later she would have to tell him.

"Hey, you alright?" Jackson's voice came from behind her.

"Uh, yeah, sure fine." She lied.

Jackson shrugged and picked up two more jugs and walked away again.

Why am I such a coward? Melissa asked herself. All she had to say was "Jackson I like you." Four simple words. So why couldn't she do it.

If she didn't someone could find out and then that person would have to keep a secret or they would have blackmail.

Yeah, a lot of good that'll do them here. She thought.

If she did tell him how she felt he might say that he didn't like her and well like Nathan said there wasn't a way to get away here.

"What's wrong?" Jackson asked sitting down right next to her.

She jumped, how did he sneak up on her?

"Nothing, nothings wrong."

"Don't lie." Jackson said shaking his head. "Come on something's wrong, the water's boiled almost to nothing and you haven't moved since I left.

Melissa sighed, no point in beating around the bush. "Jackson, I, I um, I like you." She stuttered out.

He was quiet, staring out over the ocean rather that at her.

"It's ok if you don't like me, I mean it's kind of weird an all but, um if you don't I understand." She said quickly.

"Hey, Mel, it's alright slow down." Jackson said. "It's just well…"

"You don't like me." She said softly.

"No, I do just not like I thing you think you like me. Oh, great now I sound like Taylor. I do like you, but more like friends, for now though I mean that could change you know but… Hey I'm sorry it's just that well…." God why couldn't he keep his mouth closed.

So he didn't like her, at least not in the way she did. She could tell he was trying to say something more but right now she didn't care.

"That's just fine." She said getting up and storming away.

That's great, nice job Jackson. Jackson scolded himself. Nice way to hurt her, just like you didn't want.

F29DWN

"So how do we get them down?" Daley asked shielding her eyes against the sun as she looked at the coconuts up at the top of the tree.

"I could climb up." Nathan said.

"No you could get hurt, that's the last thing any of us need right now." Daley said. "Especially me, I don't want to see you hurt."

"Hey, alright, I won't climb the tree," Nathan said smiling at Daley's worried face. "So how are we gonna do this?"

"I've got an idea." Daley said smiling.

F29DWN

Lex walked threw the jungle looking for plants he'd read about. He stopped and sat on a log to rest. He looked around, his eyes stopping on something sticking out of the dirt. It couldn't be could it? He got up and uncovered the object. When he finally got the dirt off he couldn't believe his eyes. He grabbed it and headed back to camp.

F29DWN

Melissa sat in the sand away from the fire, away from him. She sighed resting her chin on her knees. Why was life so confusing? Why did they have to be stuck on this island in the first place? Why didn't Jackson like her? So many questions so few answers.

She closed her eyes against the tears.

Jackson sat by the fire thinking. He did like Melissa but he was afraid of hurting her. He'd seen too many relationships like that. He ran his fingers threw his hair. He wished he could tell her the truth about his parents, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. It still hurt him to think about it, how could he say it?

He came to a decision. Standing up he headed down the beach to where Melissa was sitting.

"Hey," He said. "I know you must be mad at me, with good reason too. It's just I don't really… I don't know if I can…" God, how come when he wanted to say something he couldn't? "I don't want to hurt you." He finally spat out.

Melissa turned around to face him. "Why? What make you think that?"

"I've just, well, seen some things." He said looking into her eyes. "Things that scared me."

"Like what?" she asked.

Jackson looked at the sky then fiddled with the cross around his neck. "I can't tell you." He whispered, his eyes falling to the sand. "Not yet. I will tell you."

"I'm always ready to listen." Melissa said.

"I'll tell you. I promise." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

F29DWN

The six older kids were sitting around the fire, eating the coconuts Nathan and Daley got and the oysters Eric and Taylor got. They had just finished when Lex came running up to the fire.

"What's wrong?"

"Where were you?"

"What took so long?"

"Did you get lost?"

"Did you find rescue?"

"Did you find the others?"

"No, I found this." Lex said putting something down next to the fire. It was another box, from World War II.

So what do you think? What's in the box? What's up with Eric and Taylor? What's up with Jackson? And how did Nathan and Daley get the coconuts down?