Tia's Story: Book 4

by bowmaiden

After phoning Naomi's boat, Tia thinks she may actually be going home. But is home really where she wants to be? In Flashforward discover Tia's future as one of the Oceanic Seven and learn how she got to be there. Meet the members of the freighter Crew, who are not as trusting as one might think. And will Tia choose to go with Jack or Locke after learning a new secret from Charlie?

15. Flashforward: Jeremy Bentham

I walk into my house and hear laughter from the kitchen. I recognize Gil's voice.

"What's going on?" I ask, entering the room, a sigh falling before my eyes that sends me into an immediate panic.

John Locke is sitting at my dining room table, sharing a pot of coffee with Sonja. Eliza is in her car seat and Gil comes through my kitchen door with a fresh pot of coffee.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I say to Locke, trying to keep my cool.

"Calm down, Tia. Jeremy was just telling us some stories."

"Jeremy?" I ask, confused.

"Yeah, Jeremy Bentham? Your old friend from the army?"

My eyes widen. "Right. Jeremy, can I speak to you in the living room?"

I don't wait for a reply. I walk to the living room and a tall, African American man is sitting on my couch, looking at the picture of Boone and I when we were babies.

"Who the hell are you?" I ask.

He doesn't answer my question. He just stands. "I will excuse myself to the kitchen. I believe is smell coffee."

I turn back to Locke. "What the hell are you doing here?" I ask.

"I came to talk to you."

"Obviously. Though, it looks like you came to charm my family with your scary body guard."

"Matthew? He's not my body guard. He's my driver." Locke pauses for a moment, and I walk over to my wet bar and pour myself a scotch. "You don't seem too surprised to see me," Locke says.

I take a sip of the scotch and turn back to him. I saw you two days ago in New York. Talking to Walt."

"Are you and Walt in touch? He didn't say anything."

"We're not in touch, I'm just keeping tabs on him."

"Why would you do that?"

"Did you know Benjamin Linus is off the Island? I assume you do. You probably got off of it the same way. How did you do that exactly?"

"That's not important."

"Then what is?"

"I need you to come back to the Island."

The hand holding the glass of scotch starts to tremble. "Why the hell would I do that?"

"Because the people you left behind? They're in danger. They need you."

"So why did you leave them, John?"

"I had to. To come here and get you back."

I down the rest of my drink in one fell gulp. "Get out of my house," I say.

"Tia, please."

"You and your bodyguard need to get out of my house. Stay away from my family, or so help me god, I will kill you, John. Just like I've wanted to since the night Boone died."

"I'm sorry it has to be this way," he says. He doesn't say goodbye. He calls Matthew to the door and Matthew wheels him out of the house.

I will never see John Locke again.