A/N Hey Everyone. I hope that you are all enjoying the story feel free to give feedback.

Show me the man who keeps his house in hand,He's fit for public authority. Sophocles (496 BC - 406 BC), Antigone

Between understanding and faith immediate connections must subsist. Marquis de Sade

Sheepishly I jumped down from my perch in the trees and landed a couple feet from Ben. Straightening my dress I looked up at him hesitantly. Ben was dressed in the same black pair of slacks I had seen him in early this morning but he changed his shirt to a dark black one for the barbeque. He was mad. That much I could tell. His jaw was set and static energy seemed to roll off him.

"Hello, Sir," I said hoping to appease him.

"What are you doing here Miss Burr?" he asked and he sounded tired; as if this was just one more thing he would have to seal with before he could deal with what he really wanted to deal with.

"I was just getting away from the crowd," I answered. I was hoping he wouldn't ask why I had wanted to leave; I had already had to lie enough on that subject. Ben seemed to really see me then. There was a heartbeat where I knew he was analyzing me.

"Has anyone come though here?" he asked me then.

"Goodwin and Juliet," I answered and understood that he had been looking for Juliet. I couldn't help the slight frustrated frown that graced my features. He didn't seem to notice anyway.

"A while ago I suppose," he asked readying to leave.

"No they have just left," I said. That made his stop and turn around to face me again with a aghast and questioning look. "They were getting intimate," I explained.

"Excuse me?" Ben said. His eyes had narrowed and his right hand moved to the back of his waistband. "And you're telling me you hung around and watched?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I was curious," I said blushing while I moved my gaze to my Mary Janes.

"Was your curiosity appeased?" he asked and I noticed that his voice had gotten closer. Looking up his hand had moved from his gun and both were now crossed in front of him.

"No." I waited for him to change the topic or at the very least say something but when he didn't I was forced to fill the silence. "I have more questions. It seemed rather unenthusiastic. I was under the impression that it was more," I paused hoping he would stop me but he didn't, "… passionate and commanding." I couldn't help remember the dream of me and him up against the wall.

"It could be," Ben said and the words were so laced with bitterness that I know they weren't directed to me. He looked up at my face and must of seen some of the intrigue I was feeling written on my face because he took another step forward. "Is there something else you wanted to tell me?" He asked his voice lowering. For my credit I didn't take a step back but I felt my whole body tense up. I knew he noticed it to.

"No."

"Really?" He paused waiting for me to fill the silence as I had done before but I held my silence by a thread of self control. "For some reason Bonnie changed her mind and is going to the looking glass." I heard the breath of relief I let out before I could stop it.

"I didn't know she didn't want to go." I said making my voice sound calm and confused. He looked at me like he just saw something new about me. I knew he didn't buy it for a second.

"I'm not mad," he says and I feel myself relax. I thought he would be if he ever found out either because I had interjected myself in to his business or because he messed up in convincing Bonnie in the first place. I should have known that I wouldn't be able to keep anything from Ben.

"How did you know it was me?" I asked. Although I knew lying to Benjamin Linus was foolish I needed to know where I had gone wrong.

"When I asked Bonnie why the change of heart she only said that it was something you had said. Now what I've been wondering is what you said." His voice had gotten harder and I didn't even think to lie or not tell him the entire truth.

"I went over to her house under the guise of extra cake after I heard her yelling that she wouldn't do what you wanted her too. I asked her what was new with her and she told me about your request. I played it as if I was jealous and said that you must think a lot of her and made up some benefits. What got her though was that I told her that I really wanted the assignment and that I was going to ask you for it."

"I figured you had over heard a bit of our conversation when you dropped off Alex's homework," He pondered out loud. "But why did you take it upon yourself to convince her?"

"You wanted her to go. I wanted to help." It was the simplest truth. I had wanted to help. The more complicated truth was that I would do anything he wanted but I didn't even know how to phrase that at the moment. He stared at me for a long while just looking at me.

"Why did you escape the party?" he asked.

"I don't really like such social events," I said and found myself in the same silence. "It reminds me that I don't feel connected to any of them." At this Ben almost looked worried.

"You've been here two years now. You understood Bonnie well enough to get her to take the most boring assignment and yet you don't feel connected to any one here?" Ben asked and I got the impression that he thought that I didn't like it on the Island.

"Yes but its not the people here. I've always felt that there was something that alienated me from people, I never really felt that I was related or linked to anyone. The only thing that I have felt linked to is this Island." I said but left off the end of the sentence I had formed in my head which ended with, "and you."

The look he was giving me reminded me of myself when I stared at the mirror for too long and could hardly recognize myself while at the same time understanding myself too well. He let out a breath.

"Go back to the party, Cassandra." I waited but he only nodded at me to obey him and that is what I did without a second thought. Before he was out of sight I looked back to find him staring at me. I returned to the party with a smile and friendly conversation.