Chapter 9

Empty bottles lay scattered across the sand, as did the passengers of Flight 815, fast asleep. Only Matt and Jack were still awake, laughing as Jack raised a half-empty bottle of rum. "To Jordan…again," he said, taking a swig before passing the bottle to Matt.

"To the best little sister on earth…again," Matt said, but the rum missed his lips and sloshed all over his shirt. "Shit," he laughed loudly, pulling the shirt over his head and dangling it from his fingers. Looking up, he watched Jack's gaze, trailing up over Matt's bare chest before they locked eyes.

Suddenly Jack sprang forward, lips crashing against Matt's, tongue slipping between his teeth. Matt grabbed the back of Jack's head, pulling him even closer, and Jack moaned into Matt's mouth. Matt grinned, then gasped, as Jack's lips pressed their way across his chest. Jack pressed Matt flat onto his back, and Matt pulled him down, grinding their hips together. Jack shuddered, and frantically tried to help Matt grapple off his shirt.

"Jack?" Kate's voice jolted Jack off Matt, leaving Matt sprawled in the sand. Jack saw tears in Kate's eyes before she turned and ran.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Jack chanted, fumbling his shirt on, stumbling after her. Matt lay in the sand for a moment, eyes closed tightly, then took off after them, steps equally wobbly.

Jack found Kate first, crouched in the dirt. He grabbed her hands and yanked her to her feet, clamping his hands on her tear-stained cheeks and smashing their lips together. Kate pressed against him, their lips fumbling and missing, noses bumping, Jack's hands now hanging stiffly against his sides.

A stifled sob came from the trees, and Jack and Kate whipped around, coming face-to-face with Matt. Matt's eyes were red and raw as he advanced on them.

"Nice, dry hump the guy who's completely in love with you, then run and make out with the girl who can't stop flirting with everyone on this damn island," Matt snarled at Jack, chest heaving. Matt saw Jack's eyes widen, and a bitter laugh shot past Matt's lips. "Right, of course, I'm sorry, you're totally innocent and oblivious. You had no idea that the guy you wrapped your arms around, the guy who's face you couldn't seem to stop touching, the one who's bones you just jumped, is gay. Because you're not thinking clearly. You were drunk, right? Not gay, just conveniently drunk."

Mia's calm voice sounded from behind Matt. "Matt, you've been drinking. Why don't you and I go sit down and ride this out?"

Matt rounded on Mia, eyes blazing. "Says the woman who can't seem to stop flirting with Jack, but only when Sawyer's watching. It's really great how I have so many friends on this island, huh? True friends, right? Mia and Kate and Jack my true true friends. Well, fuck you." And then Matt was running, sprinting through the trees before any of the others could even react.

Jack was the first to react, flying after Matt, taking tree branches to the face, tripping over roots, but never stopping. Kate and Mia were running too, but in separate directions, deciding without speaking to split up the ground to cover, to find Matt faster. Kate ended up at the caves. She knew which cave was Matt's, having spent so much time there. The breath caught in her throat as she looked down at the spot where, just the day before, she had had her head on Matt's shoulder, laughing at some ridiculous story he was telling about the time he caught Jordan out five minutes after curfew.

His stuff was strewn everywhere, a sure sign he had been there, and a sure sign he was still royally pissed. Kate sighed, bending down to gently place his things back in some semblance of order, until her hand hit something metal. Bending down, she picked up the object, then dropped it like it had scalded her skin.

Jack cleared one patch of trees, and found Matt slumped against a rough tree trunk, face in his hands, sobbing. "Matt…" Jack said softly, and Matt turned bloodshot eyes on him before turning to hurry away again. Jack took one quick step forward, but a click froze them both in place.

Kate stood, body shaking, feet planted shoulder width apart, a gun wavering in her trembling hands. "You're a cop," she choked out. "He's a cop. He's a cop!"

"I know, Kate, it's ok," Jack said, frantically trying to force calm into his voice. "He works for the Special Victims Unit. It's ok."

"I won't turn you in," Matt said softly, and Jack's eyes widened in confusion. "She's a fugitive, Jack. She's wanted for murder, but Kate, I've known since the first second I saw you. I've known what you did, and why, and I was never going to turn you in."

Mia appeared from behind a tree, her body freezing for a split second before slipping into a fighting stance, hand already reaching towards Kate. "Kate, you don't want to do this. Matt's a good guy, he's your friend, just hand over the gun."

"Please…" Jack whispered, his voice desperate, tears already forming in his eyes. Kate met Matt's eyes, and they held gazes. Kate nodded once, tears filling her eyes as she began to lower the gun. Suddenly a rush of black smoke hurtled towards them, and Kate started, ducking to the ground.

The black smoke passed as quickly as it could come, but the shot reverberated still, and Jack turned horrified eyes towards Matt, Matt who was now clutching his side, blood spilling through his fingers.