After several hours of running the man in black and Claire stopped to catch their breath.
"Let me go," Claire spoke between breaths. "Whatever you ask for ransom, you'll get it. I swear!"
The man in black just laughed. "The promise of a woman? How much is that worth? Real witty, highness."
Claire scowled. "I was giving you a chance to live. It doesn't matter where you take me. Locke is the greatest hunter ever! If he can spot the smallest fish in a hurricane, he will certainly find you!"
The man in black simply glared at her. "So certain your dearest love will rescue you?"
"He is NOT my dearest love and yes he will find me!"
The man in black remained silent before asking. "You admit you do not love your fiancé?"
Claire looked away. She tried so hard to forget, but the pain was just too much.
"He knows I don't love him."
"You mean you're not capable of love," the man in black sneered
She looked back at him with fire burning in her eyes. Claire's anger at his words were fueled by her pain.
"I have loved more…than a killer like yourself…COULD EVER DREAM!!"
He held up his hand ready to slap her and she looked away. The man in back pulled back his fist and held an index finger.
"THAT was a warning, highness. Next time my hand flies free. Where I come from, there are punishments to women who lie."
And with that, he grabbed her wrist again and dashed off with her.
Meanwhile, Locke was sniffing the substance that killed Ben. As he found no scent, he passed it to Cooper who also sniffed it.
"It's iocane alright," Cooper said. "No doubt about it."
Locke pointed a knife towards the trail ahead. "And there are the princess's footprints. She's alive. Or was an hour ago."
As he mounted his horse he sneered. "If she is otherwise when I find her, I shall be VERY displeased."
They stopped to catch another breather. But when Claire gazed at him, if looks could kill, the man in black would've been dust.
"I know who you are now! Your cruelty reveals it all! You're the Dread Pirate Sayid! ADMIT IT!"
The man in black smiled at her and bowed. "With pride. And what is it you wish of the most feared buccaneer?"
"You can die slowly. Cut into a thousand pieces."
The Dread Pirate Sayid took a deep breath. "Ooooooh. Hardly complimentary, Your Majesty. Why waste so much venom on me?"
"…You killed the man I loved."
Sayid remained un phased. "I'm sure I did. I killed thousands of people."
He took a seat in front of her. "Tell me about this man you loved. Was he another prince, like this one? Ugly? Rich? Bald?"
"No!" Claire snapped as she looked back at him. "Farm boy. Poor…" she thought hard at trying to remember him then spoke softly. "Poor and perfect…with eyes…like the sea after a storm…"
Then her rage returned. "On the high seas, your ship attacked. And the Dread Pirate Sayid never takes prisoners."
Sayid just shrugged. "Well, I can't make exceptions, your majesty. Word on the street's a pirate's gone soft, people don't take you seriously, and it's nothing but work, work, work, all the time."
Claire was furious at him. How dare he treat Charlie's death as a joke.
"DO NOT MOCK MY PAIN!"
"LIFE IS PAIN, HIGHNESS!" Sayid shouted. "And anyone who says differently is a bloody scam."
Sayid stood up and turned his back on her. Claire just looked at the ground, hurt and angry.
Sayid finally spoke up. "I think I remember your farm boy. Five years ago wasn't it? Ah yes! Now I remember!"
He looked back at her. "Will it be too painful to hear?"
She didn't look back at him, but she shook her head.
Sayid continued. "Well, if makes you happy, he died well. No pitiful bribe attempts or blubbering. He only said 'Please. Please I must live.' The 'please' was what caught my memory. So I said to him 'What do you have worth living for?' His answer was 'True love.'
Finally Claire looked back at him, as though she was interested.
Sayid continued. "Then he spoke of a woman of amazing beauty and undying faithfulness. It seems he was talking about you."
His face beneath his mask suddenly became as dark as his tone. "Well…be thankful that I killed him before he saw you for what you really are!"
That snapped. "And WHAT am I really?"
"Faithfulness. He spoke of your undying 'faithfulness'. So be honest, when you found out he was dead, how long did you wait to get engaged out of respect for the him? A year? A week? A day?"
Claire had never been so angry in her life. "How dare you mock me? I DIED THAT DAY!!"
This time Sayid seemed prepare to strike her for real when the sound of horses distracted him. And Claire's blood was now boiling now that he lost his attention on her.
"And you can die too for all I CARE!"
And with that she pushed him and he was tumbling down the edge of the large hill.
"AS…YOU…WISH!"
Her heart skipped a beat. He just said…
Only one person said that to her…
It couldn't have been!
"Charlie? Oh my God!"
And she tumbled after him until they both reached the bottom and were lying on their respective backs.
Locke pulled his horse back and his men followed.
"Disappeared. He must've saw us coming, which might be why he panicked."
He observed the scenery. "If I'm wrong, which I can never be, they're heading into the Fiery Jungle."
And with that, they rode off.
As Claire opened her eyes, there he was, without the mask. The same ruffled blonde hair, the same beautiful eyes, the same kind face.
"Can you move?" Charlie asked her.
Tears welled in her eyes as her arms suddenly wrapped around him. Then his were around hers.
"You're alive! I could fly!"
"I said I'd come back. Why didn't you wait for me?"
"Because…because you were dead."
They pulled away from each other and gazed into each other's eyes.
"Death can never stop true love," Charlie reassured her. "Just delay it for a bit."
Claire smiled but couldn't stop the tears. "I'll never doubt again."
"You'll never need to…"
And with that, their lips drew nearer…
"Oh, no!" Aaron groaned.
"What now?" Kate asked exaggerated.
Aaron looked at her. "Do you really need to read the kissing?"
Kate smiled. "You're not going to mind so much someday."
"Let's just skip to the Fiery Jungle. That sounds neat."
Kate sighed as she scrolled down. "You know what? Since it's getting late, I'll just humor you. So…"
Charlie and Claire raced along the ravine. Charlie looked up and grinned at the horses coming closer.
"Your boar of a fiancé is too late, Claire. Just a few more steps and we'll be safe in the Fiery Jungle."
"WHAT?! But we won't survive!"
"Don't be silly. Just because no one else ever did…"
AN: hehehehe, but you can't guess what'll happen next! keep reviewing to find out!