A/N: I don't own anything. Sorry it took so long; I was at the beach and then had two papers to write. Thanks to my reviews. I love the feedback. I hope you enjoy this chapter. The finale was AMAZING. I actually quite like Alex; I just paint her in a negative light for the sake of the story. This chapter and subsequent ones take place a year before Oceanic 815 crashes.

Almost Two Years Later:

January

Cassandra is 17

Time does not change us. It just unfolds us.

~ Max Frisch

"Okay. Okay. Settle down," Mrs. Conroy says and is finally able to get the kids around me to settle down. School. Who thought that in the middle of the jungle there would still be a school? (And rules, and somehow a group who doesn't really like me.) "Has everyone finished their translation?" Mrs. Conroy asks and in the usual teenage fashion everyone looks down in an attempt to be ignored.

In the two years since I arrived on the Island not much has changed. I am still me, Lydia is still Lydia, and I still feel the unexplainable alienation. I felt it in Arlington, I felt it when my mom died, I felt it when I first arrived on the Island and although I get along with everyone, almost, on the Island and many value me as a confident I feel this emptiness. I can't explain it. I don't feel close to anyone on this Island, although this is nothing new I haven't felt connected to anyone ever; it just took me a while to realize it.

I'm not saying that I don't like being on the Island. In fact I do feel connected to it, more than any human. I love it here. Despite the fact that I am not allowed to go traipsing off though the jungle I feel like I am home and I couldn't imagine leaving. The barracked are great regardless of the fact that I fell alone when surrounded by its population. With all that needs to be done, the numerous areas in which I can offer my services, and my endless supply of book I am not bored. I don't help Lydia and Juliet out much because my lack of knowledge in science proves a hindrance, I don't really like Juliet, and I see enough of Lydia at home. Not to mention the fact that they get to go traipsing off in the jungle in abundance. Weather to take samples, visit the other Dharma labs, or whatever it is they are doing they are gone a lot. Needless to say I never get to go. That's not to say I never leave the Barracks. We, the kids and I, are allowed camping trips with adults and exploration missions but they are never very far from the barracks and always with copious supervision.

"Miss Kendrick?" I look up from the book in front of me to see Mrs. Conroy and the class looking at me. "Line 28 please?"

'' Quis est qui non statuant inter imperium amoremque ?'' I say in Latin before translating it in to English. "Who is there who cannot decide between power and love?"

"Perfect. And the Imperium Amoremque?"

"It is accusative." I answer Mrs. Conroy's question.

"And if it were instead Imperium Amorque?"

"It would be nominative and it would mean power and love." Mrs. Conroy smiles at me before turning to her next victim.

When I first got to the Island and begun school I thought it was weird that we had to learn Latin but since then I have to come to really love the language. We don't speak it much to each other in the barracks but sometimes you can hear people conversing in the so called dead language. I asked once why we had to learn it and was answered with, "Ben wants everyone to learn it."

Ben. I haven't seen much of him since my first couple of days here on the Island. Well not true. I see enough of him but the number of interactions between him and I could be counted on one hand. He is usually working. Running the barracks takes little work I can imagine so I have decided that what keeps him occupied it what lays outside the Pylons. Every couple of weeks he and some security people leave the barracks for spontaneous amounts of time. Those are very boring periods here in the barracks, at least for me. If he is in the courtyard he is easy enough to watch from my secret perch. And let me just tell you what secret things I have found out up there about other residents of the barracks; but I will get to that latter. I am not sure what about Ben interests me. I've chalked it up to wanting to know what goes on in the upper levels of society here on the Island. Although they do not act suspicious and claim that the security teams acts only as protection for the community I have found their behavior cunning, calculating and utterly fascinating. They, mostly Ben and his select advisors, have become my main focus although I do leave time to devote to the comings and goings of the rest of the population. I'm not into voyeurism I just like to know what is going on.

"Since we have finished the chapter I'll let you guys out for the day," Mrs. Conroy says and my class mates are rushing out the door before she changes her mind. "Oh, Miss Kendrick, since you're the only one left could you drop this off at Alex's. It's her homework." If ever there was an argument for running out of the class room as if the bubonic plague was approaching it would be the 19 words Mrs. Conroy just said.

"No problem," I answer grabbing the book and notebook she is handing me before walking out in to the sunny day. I exit the school and path through the playground before arriving at the path that will take me back to the courtyard. It is almost like Mrs. Conroy is attempting new torture methods. Alex has been out of school the past couple of days for unknown reasons. I have yet to determine if she is home of if she got her father to let her go to another station. The entire island is practically her play ground; although I doubt if her dad would let her go outside the barracks alone. At least she can get out at all.

Considering the possible outcomes this situation is nothing but bad. If Alex is home, sick or whatnot, she will attack me for bring me her homework because A) it is work and B) because it is me, her second to least favorite person in the world, bringing it. Talk about killing the messenger. If she isn't home and no one is home, which is the best possibility and may actually lead to a positive outcome now that I think about it, I'll leave the homework on the porch and check every hour to make sure Alex has in fact gotten it. The third option is the most interesting; it is the worst yet I can't help but enjoy the idea. Now if Ben is home I'll have to knock (can't leave it on the porch looking like a pussy) and he'll answer the door and we'll have to talk. The courtyard comes in to view and instead of veering towards my house my aim is centered on Ben's house.

You should know, before I tell you any more, that I have continued to have the same dream I had on the first night on the Island.

My hands were grasped in his hands held tightly above my head as his body pressed mine against the wall of my new bedroom.

"Say it," he demands lips inches from my own.

"I want you," I answer and his lips come crashing down on mine.

I've had the dream about once a month since I got here. It is as if my mind doesn't want to forget every feeling in it and every detail. Although I wake up more or less extremely content the days afterwards are filled with confusion until I have successfully rid my mind of said confusion and all that remains is the dream. The one thing that has managed to change in the almost two years is I can be near Ben, all the time remember the dream, and not blush, thank heaven. I do not like to analyze my dream; it always brings warm and confusing, and conflicting feelings, and thus has not determined what it could mean.

Walking up the steps I clutched the homework to my chest. In an attempt to delay the inevitable I approached the beautiful red flowers on the other side of the porch. They smelled beautiful. As I was about buck up the courage to knock on the door it opened suddenly and Bonnie Daniels come storming out.

"I'm not doing it Ben, okay!" she says forcefully and stalks off towards her house without noticing me. As he watches her leave I decide that I have the worst luck.

"Mr. Linus?" I say hesitantly. He turns and looks at me, not as if he as just noticing I was there ( I highly doubt that Ben is the kind of person that doesn't take in his surroundings even if he is getting yelled at) but just realizing that it was weird that I was standing on his porch.

"Yes, hello Miss. Kendrick, please come in," he says moving out of the way so I could enter the house. He leads me in to the kitchen with a contemplative look on his face. Ben for his part was annoyed; that was the second woman to storm out of the room he was in. The first of course being Juliet and he was unwilling to humor the idea that it was because he was upset about Juliet that he had somehow managed to fail in the simple task of getting Bonnie to do what he wanted.

Noticing the two glasses of ice tea on the table I move to pour more in the glass without the three pieces of lemon at the bottom. "Ice tea," I ask hoping to distract him from whatever has initiated the faraway look he has.

"Sure," he says and proceeds to take the glass and lean against the counter. He is frustrated, most people would probably only see Ben being Ben but the slight increase of his breathing is enough for me to understand that he is frustrated that Bonnie isn't going to do whatever it was they were talking about. "I want Bonnie to take the assignment in the looking glass," Ben says setting down the half empty glass. I realize that I have been staring at him and he decided to fill the silence. Now he is mad that he mentioned his failed plan to me. I take a seat at the table and look up at him.

"And she doesn't want to," I elaborate. He nods curtly and I decide to change the subject. "Mrs. Conroy asked me to drop off Alex's homework for the last couple of days," I explain setting the book and folder on the table.

"Thank you," He says resting his hands on the counter he is leaning on. "I'm sure she'll be glad to have it when she gets back."

"Yes I'm sure it will be a great relief for her to have her homework assignments. She is probably worried sick about getting behind," I say keeping the sarcasm out of my voice with great strain. He almost laughs.

"Doubtful. She'll probably assume it is my attempt to ruin her life," he says.

"You can always tell her I brought it over and you'll be off the hook," I suggest.

"With Alex, no she has the ability to blame both of us equally." I swear I don't like the sound of the word 'us'. Skipping over that awkward though I laugh. His eyes move an inconsequential amount to examine me after I laugh at his statement; dare I say in surprise. "Either way, thanks for brining it by."

"I'm glad to help," I say and taking that a subtle dismissal I stand up. He leads me to the door and we say our good byes .He hasn't closed the door yet and as I walk across the courtyard I feel him staring at me. Soon enough I hear the door close.

I have a plan forming in my head; I just hope he doesn't find out about it.

A/N: Hope you liked it. I hope to update soon but finals are coming up so I'll have to see how it goes.