A/N: The Dharma Initiative would like to thank the following for their support: Joe, Wicked-Obsession, GoldenRat, SilentMe, NotEnoughFluffy, Leanne17, EnchantedLight, TypoKween, RocksandGlass, UnspokenFaith, Kai-Dranzer, 5by5, Mythic-Lionheart, PrecariousPersonata, and M. This story would not go on without your encouragment and reviews.

Chapter Forty - ?
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"Faith! You have to slow down!"

She ignored the suggestion and continued to walk through the forest, hands clutching the straps of her bag. "Go back Locke!" Faith threw a look at him from over her shoulder. "Take your buddy with you too."

Locke let out a loud sigh, the other set of footsteps not slowing down.

"I am afraid that is not an option Faith. You cannot go alone into the jungle."

"Just saying that makes me realize how well you don't know me." Faith finally stopped and turned to wait as the priest made his way towards her, Locke trailing behind on his crutches. "I suggest the two of you go back, you're slowing me down."

"Slowing you down from where exactly?" Locke frowned. "We don't even know what direction to go and even if we did, he's got a gun."

"Then it'll be self defense when I connect my fist with his face." Her eyes flashed to Eko, the tall man watching her quietly. "Why are you here?"

"I told Jack I would accompany Locke." He answered. "There is something we must discuss."

"I don't have anything to talk to you about." Locke shot back. "I don't have a clue what he's talking about Faith, but we really should go back. It's getting dark."

"You go back if you want but that man killed Libby. He shot Michael and Ana's tittering on the edge right now. You really expect me not do something? I've been sitting back for too long already. Henry, whoever the hell he is, if he wanted my attention then he certainly has it." Faith turned to continue walking through the forest. "I'm heading to where they told us not to cross and you can bet your ass, I'm gonna do a dance over the damn line."

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She was beyond irritated. The trail had gone cold just like the atmosphere, there was no sign for the past ten miles a single living soul had come that way through the trees, and she was still being followed. Running a hand through her hair, Faith stopped as she caught a part of Eko and Locke's heated conversation.

"I told you I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"What is the question mark John? Where is it?"

Both men stopped, staring heatedly at each other.

"I don't know!" Locke growled. "That's it, I'm going back. I've had enough of these games of wild goose chase and twenty questions."

Eko blocked his path. "I will not ask again John. One way or another, you will show me."

"I'm not showing you a damn thing!"

Eko moved forward to head-butt Locke but Faith was quicker and she stepped in the way. Before he could blink, he was pinned against a tree, her foot pressing against the skin of his throat.

Faith glared into his surprised face, her hands clenched. "Do anything like that again and I'll make sure you meet your maker a lot sooner than you want to Priest." She stepped away, lowering her leg flawlessly. "If you two are done pissing in the wind, it's almost pitch black and we need to make camp." The two men glared at each other and she snapped her fingers. "Now."

Locke nodded, moving ahead of them and Faith glanced over to find Eko watching her. "What?" She turned towards him. "You want another bruise on that ego of yours?"

"It is not my ego that has me questioning Locke, Faith but my beliefs. I was told in a dream I needed to help Locke in locating the question mark. He knows what I am talking about."

"You mean like the question mark on the door?" She crossed her arms and smirked at him. "I saw it too, it's on a hatch door; we thought it might be a map."

"Then we must find where it's located."

"What makes you so positive we should or that what we find there will be any good to us?"

Eko smiled and turned to follow Locke. "Because I have faith in more ways than one."

"I'm going to ignore the irony of that statement and take the bait." Faith called after him. "Who told you about this so-called important question mark?"

Eko didn't falter in his steps. "You did Faith. You told me."

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The Virgin Mary statue fell to the ground and she stepped on it, shattering it into tiny pieces. Faith shaded her eyes, looking around at the remains of the burned out plane and the cliff behind it. "Have I mentioned lately how much I hate this place?"

Locke shifted beside her. "I didn't think I'd ever come back here again."

"Perhaps we should climb the cliff and take a look around." Eko came up on the other side of them. "The map John drew has led us this way. There must be more direction from this point."

Faith continued to stare at the cliff, flashes of memory entering her mind. "I don't know if I want to do that." She felt Locke grip her shoulder. "How come every time someone needs to climb your legs don't work right?"

His hand fell away from her shoulder and he cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Faith, I…"

"I'll do it." Eko spoke up. "Stay here."

Faith didn't argue, watching in silence as he made his way towards the cliff and while he began to climb, her eyes shifted to the remains of the plane.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded turning her attention back to Eko and she shielded her eyes from the sun as he finally made his way to the very top. "What do you see? See anything?"

"No!" Eko yelled back looking around at their surroundings. He paused when his gaze shifted to where they stood. Without another word, he began to climb back down.

"What the hell is he doing?" Faith grunted as she began to walk forward to meet him halfway, Locke following. "What's going on?"

Eko shimmied down, jumping to land on his feet and he turned, brushing dirt off his hands. "There is something on the ground, an area of dirt that is not growing."

"Um, congratulations?"

"It is in the shape of a question mark."

Faith glanced over at Locke. "Well, that's something isn't it?" She watched as Eko moved past them towards the plane and bent down to taste a section of the ground that was a different shade then the rest of the grass. "What is it?"

Eko spit. "It tastes like salt. Someone has poured it here so the grass would not grow."

"Smart little bastards." Faith looked around. "This must be another drop off point for planes."

Eko stood up again and began to kick at the ground.

"What are you-"

They all froze as he hit something solid and Faith moved forward when he bent down, brushing grass away to slowly reveal a piece of metal.

"I'll be damned." Faith bent down as well, brushing away more grass and she stared down at the metal door in the ground. "Looks like we found another hatch."

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The inside of the hatch was similar to the Swan, Dharma logos on the walls but only a white circle was showing, no image inside it. She followed the two men at a leisurely pace, Locke turning on the lights. Everything they passed was dusty and she frowned as she entered the main room to see old TV monitors in front of two large chairs.

They all remained silent as Locke turned on the monitors. One television flicked on to show static, the rest remaining black. Faith's eyes widened as she noticed one television was working, the inside of the Swan showing up on the monitor just as Jack walked by.

"Looks like Big Brother's been watching."

Locke didn't answer and moved over to the computer terminal by the televisions. "Looks like they might have been punching in a code as well." He squinted down at the monitor and reached out to press the Execute button.

The computer beeped in response, printing immediately and she shifted to see Eko was flipping through a stack of notebooks.

"They're all empty." He opened another closet. "But there is this."

Faith and Locke froze at the sight of the videotape in his hand, the words Orientation in bold print on the front. They glanced at the monitors and her held breath rushed out of her lungs at the sight of the video player located near the bottom. "I suddenly feel like River Dancing."

Locke chuckled and took a seat in one of the chairs, resting his legs and Faith motioned at Eko. "You first. Let's see what you found."

He nodded, placing the tape in as Faith took a seat next to Locke, her gaze locked on the screen. The screen popped up with the white circle, the text at the bottom reading Orientation – Station 5 – The Pearl. The same man from the other film appeared but he was missing the white lab coat, dressed instead in a turtleneck and a brown sport coat.

"Hello. I'm Dr. Mark Wickman."

Faith snorted. "Wasn't his name was Marvin last time?"

Both Eko and Locke ignored her as the video continued.

"Once again, thank you for participating in the Dharma Initiative program. The Dharma Company combined with the forces of the Initiative Testing Corporation continues to strive for a better tomorrow. As instructed, you will remain here for three weeks working in eight-hour shifts. You and your partner will observe and right down the team members at each station. They are not aware they are being observed to obtain an unhindered and unbiased recording of their interactions. The nature of their tasks is not the question but the why is the focus. Each center believes their job is important. That is all you need to know. Namaste and good luck."

The tape shut off.

"Do you need to see it again?"

Locke shook his head at Eko. "No, I've seen enough."

Faith shrugged off her bag and unzipped it, pulling out the tape she had been holding onto for weeks. "Your turn." She got up to let Eko take her seat, changed out the videos before sitting down on the floor, her eyes glued to the screen when it turned black.

The Dharma symbol popped up on the screen, the Swan appearing in the circle with the text for the station at the bottom. The background shifted to the familiar sight of the dome in the hatch but Faith was surprised to see it wasn't the same speaker from before that appeared on the screen.

"Good evening. I'm Maggie Walsh of the Dharma Initiative California branch and this is the Orientation film for security at Station Five: The Swan."

Faith immediately knew her as the Initiative doctor from Sunnydale papers, the woman though younger in years still easily recognizable. While she had never encountered the government doctor that posed as a teacher at Sunnydale University, she had read plenty of articles and heard enough stories from Buffy later to understand that the woman had been a dangerous roadblock in Buffy's life as a Slayer. The Initiative was almost destroyed by Maggie Walsh's need to conduct Frankenstein experiments and it had cost the curious doctor her life. It was no obvious to Faith now that Maggie's need had been growing long before she had relocated to the town of Sunnydale.

"By now you have completed training and have been assigned to your individual stations. As instructed in your training, your job is first and foremost security inside and out of your station. We have assigned two participants under your watch and should there be any disturbances or hostility from outside forces or the participants themselves, you are under strict orders to take care of the situation in any means necessary." Maggie smiled but the expression held no warmth. "Thank you for volunteering your special talents and time to the Dharma Initiative so that we can better educate ourselves and the entire world. Without you, our research and the development of both companies could not continue. As instructed, please destroy this tape and the video player to prevent experiment tampering. Thank you again and good luck."

The tape shut off and Faith didn't move from where she sat.

"Faith?"

She blinked but didn't look away from the television that was filled with static again. "Just when I think things can't get any stranger..." She snorted. "I realize it's my life and I should be expecting this type of shit by now."

"What did it mean to you?" Eko spoke up from his chair. "Anything?"

Faith stood up slowly from the floor, bending to retrieve the videotapes and put them back into their boxes. She stayed quiet as she placed both into her bag and zipped it up. Her gaze settled on Locke's. "I owe you an apology." Faith cleared her throat. "It seems the island did bring me here for a reason. I guess there really is no such thing as coincidence anymore."

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"You haven't said much since we left The Pearl."

"What do you want me to say Locke?" Faith glanced at him then focused straight head just as quickly. "That I suddenly realize I was brought here to fight someone whose supposed to be on my side? That I've ignored all the signs pointing to this moment, the one where I'm faced knowing someone took a young girl and turned her unwilling into some kind of death solider all because she was different? Yeah, I get it now, thanks."

"So it's true, she is one of you?"

She nodded, clearing her throat. "A potential, a slayer now but when she came to the island, she was just a young girl, someone standing on the very edge of her destiny. They took that away from her." Her eyes flashed dangerously. "They saw her strength as a weapon and lied to her, told her she was crazy. Morana thought she was useless until Dharma brought her here. They brainwashed her and then betrayed her by doing tests like she was some lab rat."

"But we saw the same woman in the hatch Faith. She wasn't asking for your help, she was doing what they wanted. She stabbed you with a damn needle!"

"Yeah, that even gets more pleasant every time I'm reminded of it."

Locke chuckled. "I'm just stating facts Faith. This island, this whole place, it's a joke, an experiment to see how far people would go when told what to do. When we get back to hatch, I'm done. I'm not pushing the button anymore."

"You're kidding me." Faith snorted and shot her gaze to his face. "Locke, the one who believed before anyone did, is giving up on the Island?"

"I still believe in certain things Faith but this button, the tests… I told myself once I'd never let anyone blackmail, guilt trip or trick me into doing anything else that I didn't want to do and I let them do exactly that to me. There's no going back from that."

"What about Eko?" Faith glanced ahead at the priest leading their path through the forest. "I saw him take papers."

"He wants to continue pushing the button."

She sighed but a small shrug followed. "Let him. I have other things to worry about now."

"You do realize if this woman is on their side, she's the enemy no matter how much alike you really are. There's no telling how long she's been on this island Faith." Locke cleared his throat. "Years, months… If they've truly brainwashed her into working for them, there may be no getting her back to the Morana you saw in your vision."

"I know. I'll find a way around her."

"And if you can't?"

"Then I'll go through her."