Chapter Forty-Four: Cost of Living

"Can I give you a lift?"

Faith swept drenched locks of hair away from her face and leaned forward to squint at the driver of the four door black Taurus. It was pouring down rain, as it had been for the last three miles, and she was soaked to the bone.

"Maybe." She surveyed the dark brown eyes and closely cut black hair closely. He seemed harmless enough but she knew better than most that appearances could be deceiving. Then again, she was never one to follow any type of rules, especially ones meant for personal safety. "Where you headed?"

"Same direction as you it looks like." He reached over to push the door open. "Come on, get in."

Faith slid easily into the passenger seat and the car pulled back onto the road. She did a quick survey of the inside, quickly finding it without any signs of clutter or trash, the gray fabric still carrying that new car smell. It screamed rental.

Her gaze went back to the driver. He was glancing between her face and the road every so often. Enough so that the action made her shift in her seat and she placed her back at an angle to rest between the door and the seat.

"Where are you headed?"

"Los Angeles."

"That's quite a distance to be hitchhiking especially late at night."

She shifted in the seat again and forced her shoulders to relax. "I can take care of myself." She examined his business suit with narrowed eyes. "You a salesman or something?"

"Or something." He smiled softly and kept his gaze forward. "It's your lucky night; I'm headed to L.A. myself for business. I can take you all the way into the city if you want."

The urge to resist rested heavily on her tongue but her aching feet and drenched clothing were enough of a reminder that she needed to choose wisely from here on out. Besides, laying low in an unfamiliar car was the better option versus walking where she would be easy pickings for vultures, human or not. The last thing she needed was Five-O rolling up and dragging her back to Sunnydale; not that they'd get very far but right now she didn't need the extra mess.

"Alright."

"Good choice. It looks like the weather is going to stay nasty for a little while longer." He looked at her again, the small smile still on his face. "We've got a good distance left to go and I plan on stopping before we get there. How about I buy you something to eat in exchange for your company?"

"Why would you do that?" She eyed him skeptically. "You don't know me."

"Well, by the looks of your clothes, you've been walking for quite some time and you could probably use a cup of hot coffee as well as something hot to eat." His grin widened as her stomach betrayed her by rumbling loudly in agreement. "That's a good enough reason to right there."

After a few minutes of lingering silence, she nodded. "Fine but don't get any funny ideas."

"Deal. So what's your name Sweetheart?"

"Faith, not Sweetheart."

He chuckled. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Faith. I'm Richard."

&&&&&&&&&&

To her left, Sun and Jin slumbered peacefully and camp fire light reflected off the metal as Faith continued to sharpen the Jackal blade. Her dark eyes followed the movement of the stone as it moved, her grip comfortable but tight around the leather handle. The bushes rustled in front of her but she didn't glance up from her task. "Find anything?"

"No, it's quiet." Sayid slung the strap of his gun over his shoulder and approached to take a seat beside her. "Speaking of which, you didn't say much today."

"I wasn't up for a round of share time, sorry."

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

"After what happened, I-"

"I don't want to talk about it, okay?" Faith caught his gaze with hers, chocolate eyes flashing angrily. "The only thing you need to worry about is getting Sun and Jin back to camp." She directed her gaze back down again. "Once you're there, you can fill everyone in on what's going on."

"And what about you?"

"I'm not going back."

Sayid frowned, eyes locked on her side profile. "And where will you go?"

"One way or another, I'm coming back with our friends."

"They're not going to just let you walk in there and take them."

Faith smirked and flipped the blade, catching it comfortably by the handle once more. "It wouldn't be much of a challenge if they did."

"We don't even know where their camp is. It could take days and that's if they let you find them."

"I'm pretty sure I'll be able to find it."

Sayid reached forward to place his hand on her arm. "Come back to camp, we'll restock supplies, check on everyone, and if you're still set on going, we'll do it together."

Her gaze slid down to rest on his hand. "I don't remember inviting you along."

"Faith, look at me." His grip relaxed as their eyes met again. "There's no reason for you to face this by yourself."

"And once again, there's no reason for you to worry about me Sayid. Some things you just have to do alone." She shoved her knife into the holster on her hip and stood up, his hand falling away. "I'm sorry."

"About what?"

The right hook caught his jaw and Sayid crumpled silently onto the forest floor.

&&&&&&&&&&

Faith cut off the gurgling water and stared into the bathroom mirror. Tired eyes reflected back and she made a disgruntled face at her reflection before turning off the light and returning to the dimly lit motel room. The only source of light was from the moon hanging outside the window, beams angling through the blinds to illuminate the space just to a point where she could see.

Richard had shifted to take up the majority of the bed by this point, his chest rising and falling steadily. For a split second she imagined he was dead, another victim left behind in the chaos, the only thing she seemed capable of producing. He continued to slumber unaware of her and Faith stepped away from the foot of the bed.

His wallet, watch and keys rested on top of the TV located on the motel dresser. A twinge of guilt hit her as she opened his wallet. She took the money that rested inside; three hundred dollars piled together in a wad of crisp twenties but left the credit cards and ID. The keys and watch stayed untouched as well despite the fact that somewhere inside a voice taunted that she was being paid for services rendered. What would a little more hurt?

She ignored that too.

Their stop hours before had been a Waffle House and as he promised, Richard had paid for two hot meals and several cups of coffee. She had eaten everything on her plate and even some of his entrée without complaint, wolfing the food down so quickly he could only watch in amusement. He didn't seem to mind she kept her answers short at first when he asked questions but when she did answer, he listened attentively. It was almost like he cared and Faith indulged herself in the idea that he actually did care, opening up to eventually accomplish complete sentences.

How they had ended up at the Red Roof motel was still hazy but what remained clear was what had taken place there. In the past taking what she wanted sexually or otherwise had given her a sense of power. She was above the law, above normal people; she lived and died by the code. Take, Want, Have. In the past it had been enough.

Now she felt dirty. Guilt ate away her insides, leaving behind an empty shell with nothing left to offer and no purpose.

Faith looked over her shoulder to stare at the bed and the stranger lying tangled in the sheets. "I'm not sorry." She repeated the whispered words several times without conviction. "I'm not."

&&&&&&&&&&

It was the full moon that allowed Faith to continue pushing forward through the dense jungle. She kept one hand on her Jackal, the other holding steady the torch she had snagged from the campsite. Unsure of a real direction to head, she had chosen to backtrack. An hour, maybe two at the most, had passed and she still wasn't sure the direction she had picked was the right one.

Birds called out in the distance, grasshoppers sung, but Faith stopped walking when she heard the light, tinkering bell sound of laughter as it came from behind her. She turned and immediately caught sight of the dark headed child from her vision. The little girl laughed again, black eyes glittering and then she was gone disappearing into the trees and bushes.

"Hey!" Faith cursed under her breath and followed pushing aside tree limbs and leaves. "Come back here!" The laughter echoed around her. "Uh, conduit? Hey, come back!"

The child laughed again and a flash of her white dress caught her eye ahead of her. Faith tightened her grip on the torch and picked up her pace, cursing again as she stumbled over a tree root. She shoved past intertwined bushes, thrusting the torch forward in order to see. It was the vision of what she saw that made her stop.

"I slowed down for you."

"Touching, really." Faith barely looked at the conduit, eyes focused on the objects littering the ground. "What is this?"

The little girl leaned on one of the larger objects and tapped her fingers repetitiously against it. "It looks to be stone Slayer."

"I can see that Britannica but what is this?"

"A body cannot stand without the feet."

With a roll of her eyes, Faith glanced around and took a step towards another larger piece of stone. "These pieces belonged to the foot we saw on the boat; must have made one hell of a tall statue." She crotched down and waved the torch flame in front of her to highlight the carving of the stone. "It must have taken…"

The conduit giggled at noticing Faith's hesitation. "A while to accomplish, yes, but what's more puzzling is the imagery; is it not?"

Faith stared at the face etched into the stone. Though half of it had crumbled and turned to dust, she could still make out the deeply carved lines. "Is... is this me?"

"The statue merely looks like you; a model, a representation if you will for those around this island. For centuries, they have inhabited this place in the hopes of finding a real queen, a ruler. Those left behind; they see that in you now." The conduit moved away from her leaning position. "Power flows through your veins Faith. You are a Slayer and with that comes the ability to shape destiny."

"Bullshit." She stood to face the small child. "From day one my destiny has been nothing but a death sentence."

"And from day one you have continued to prove it wrong."

She clenched her hands, aware it would be futile to even contemplate swinging at the image. "What did you do to me? Colleen, that Other, she had no clue who you were! Why are you stalking me?"

"I show myself when it is deemed worthy."

"Colleen wasn't worthy? She certainly thought that she was."

"I am a guide; not the path."

"Path to what? Was Colleen on a path? Did she die because of it?"

The conduit giggled, clapping her hands together as if she had been awarded a piece of candy for good behavior. "Your questions are amusing." She studied Faith closely. "It is almost as if you care about this Colleen."

"Answer the question."

"You are quite puzzling Slayer. You did not even know this woman and I very much doubt your sleep will be vacant of any dreams because of her death!"

"Just answer the damn question!"

The black eyes of the little girl flashed in displeasure but she merely nodded. "The people here are special, powerful in some aspects but weak in the many others that matter. The lines of life and death are hidden from them, shrouded in what the island chooses to give and take. It is because of this that they have become disillusioned at their own mortality and can no longer see the lines that separate law from man."

"Morana mentioned testing and she mentioned blood; nothing that made any real sense. What did she mean?"

"If I am to give you all of the answers, what would the real challenge in the test be?"

Faith gritted her teeth and uncurled her fingers. Her palms were discolored from pressure and nail marks were clearly visible on her skin. "What can you tell me?" She exhaled slowly through her nostrils. "Why are you here in the first place if you can't tell me anything that will help!?"

"As I have told you before, I am a guide; I am not your path. The answers you seek lie on this island but only you have the power to uncover them. That is your destiny; that is your purpose for being here."

"I'm here… to figure out why I'm here." She snorted and stepped away to stare at the stone pieces again. "This is fucking ridiculous. You're spinning me in circles." She twisted to face the conduit again. "You're giving me nothing!"

The little girl clasped her hands together in front of her. "Since birth, I have given you everything you need to survive but it has been through your own actions that you have made it this far. Humans are weak yet so strong, given the ability to make their own choices, but Slayers… no matter the choice it will always lead to the darkness."

"That's not true."

"Is it not? Has a choice to commit murder not led you away from the light?"

"I didn't mean to kill that man!"

"But you killed others and you will continue to do so Faith. It is your destiny."

Faith shook her head quickly. "You're wrong, a Slayer isn't a murderer."

"A Slayer is a weapon, a force of nature that is fueled by destruction and rage. It is because of this that others wish to possess and create a world unlike you will ever image. War is upon you."

"What war?"

The conduit pointed to the statues. "Your answers lie within these stones, within walls that were built before the creation of your life. You were brought here for reasons beyond you but you will not find them with the people you have chosen to protect. As you humans would say, keep your friends close…"

"And your enemies closer."

The little girl giggled as she started to fade. "Simply amusing."

"Wait!" Faith stepped forward. "Tell me what's happening to me? At the Others' camp…"

"Consider it a gift you will need in the days to come Slayer. You are connected now to this island. Do not make us regret our decision to place our faith in you."

"Very funny." She turned to kick a piece of stone that rested at her feet. "You know what, kiss my-" She looked up again to find the conduit had vanished. "Big surprise there."

&&&&&&&&&&

It was the chattering of an animal that woke her and Faith winced as she felt a piece of stone uncomfortably positioned up against her spine. She shifted forward and rubbed at her eyes; rays of the sun bright as they broke through the tops of the trees.

Standing to her feet, she stretched and shifted her gaze at the stones again. She had spent the better part of the night simply staring at the half-dissolved face until her eyes grew tired and she could no longer keep them open. Hours of staring had gotten her nowhere but to a dead end of frustration and a sore spot in the middle of her back.

A sudden burst of chatter made her head pop up and her eyes widened at the sight of a small black monkey perched on the top of a large piece of stone. Tiny paws together, it tilted its head to the left at the same time as Faith did.

"Well, good morning to you too."

The monkey chattered and flashed its teeth.

"No bananas here Curious George so get lost." Faith ignored the monkey as she ventured past the stone, double checking to make sure she was still in possession of her knife before she continued towards camp.

A small object, maybe a stone or pebble, pelted her suddenly in the back of the head.

"Ow! What the-" Rubbing the now sore spot, she turned to eye the monkey. It bounced on top of the stone, chattering quickly. "Cut it out!"

The monkey simply flashed its teeth again and was gone. It continued to chatter and still rubbing at her head, she stepped around the stone again. The monkey was on the ground as if waiting but as soon as it saw Faith; it turned and scampered up another stone.

"That's right, you better run. I haven't eaten in two days and I'm pretty sure you'd taste just like chicken right now!" Faith watched as the monkey bounced and rolling her eyes turned away again. She turned again just as quickly, catching another pebble quickly in her right hand. "Oh, that is it!"

As expected the monkey took off towards another stone and Faith hurried after it. She skidded past a part of the leg and almost collided with the other foot.

"Come here!"

The monkey tilted its head again from its place on top of the other foot. It bounced twice before chattering and her eyes narrowed at the sight of the Jackal resting in one of its hands.

Her hand drifted to where the knife once rested, finding it empty. "You little shit!" She stepped forward. "Give that back to me."

Continuing to chatter, it dropped the knife. The Jackal landed blade first into the soil and she came forward to snatch it up, eyeing the monkey cautiously as it remained on top of the stone. Something else caught her eye and she shoved the knife back into her belt as she reached out to shove shrubbery away from the broken parts of stone.

Attention diverted, she pulled at the vines and frowned as it revealed a small smooth surface. Her fingers trailed over the cut stone and she lowered herself to one knee at the sight of tiny numbers etched into the stone. They were not unfamiliar to her, the same ones that were seemingly repeated all over the island on different surfaces, but it was another line of numbers positioned under those that made her pause.

"You're a hard woman to find."

&&&&&&&&&&

She sat back in the seat and shifted so her cuffed hands rested on top of the table. "I've been in the same spot for the past five months and it doesn't look like I'm going anywhere anytime soon. What's your excuse?"

"Do you need a lawyer?"

"Why?"

"I want to help you."

"Why…" She leaned forward, "… are you here Richard?"

"I've been out of the country but when I came back and read about your case in the paper…" He shrugged. "I have contacts, people I know, that can help you. Maybe…"

Faith shifted back again, chains on her feet rattling as she moved. "I don't want your help and to be honest, you're the last person who should offer it to me. My memory's a bit fuzzy at times but I'm certain last time we met I ditched you in a hotel and took three hundred dollars from your wallet."

Richard smiled as if the memory was a fond one and she couldn't help but smile back. "Trust me, I remember and the money's the least of my worries."

"Oh yeah? Did I finally find myself a sugar daddy after all?"

"Do you always joke when your life is on the line?" Richard was the one to lean forward this time. "You're sitting on a life sentence here Faith; it's quite possible they'll even try to pin the death penalty on you. You don't belong here. Let me help you."

"There's no way you can help me."

"I know people that are good at pulling strings."

Faith leaned forward as well. "And trust me when I say that I know people who can cut those strings and use them to leave you hanging high and dry. Go back to where you came from Richard. You're the one that doesn't belong."

"I'm offering my friendship."

"I don't have a lot of friends because I prefer it that way." She ignored the sight of his hand sliding across the table and the feeling of it covering hers. "Besides, one night of me rocking your world doesn't mean we're connected in any way. We had fun. You gave me a ride, I gave you one. We're even now. Go back home Richard. There's no reason for you to stick around. You'll only regret it."

"Maybe I want the chance to get my three hundred dollars back."

"Then I suggest hitting the slots in Vegas and getting a hooker." Faith jerked her hands free of his and stood up from her chair, the guard at the door moving towards the table. "I don't want to see you ever again."

"Faith, wait…"

Guard holding her elbow, she glanced over her shoulder to see Richard sliding a card across the table to her.

"If you change your mind, you can reach me at this number day or night."

She grabbed the card off the table, frowning as she stared down at it. "Mittelos Bioscience. You a scientist or something?"

"Or something."

"Don't waste holding your breath waiting on me to call."

Richard watched as she turned again with the card still in her hand. "Faith."

"What?" She turned again near the door. "What is it?"

"Happy birthday."

&&&&&&&&&&

Faith stood up and turned to face Sayid. "Maybe I didn't want to be found."

"It's impossible to expect me not to follow you especially after being punched in the face." He shifted the rifle onto his left shoulder and glanced around. "I see you've made a new friend."

"That thing is not my friend. In fact, he's lucky I haven't barbequed him yet." She shot the monkey a look from over her shoulder before gazing at Sayid again. "Where are Sun and Jin?"

Sayid rubbed at his cheek and moved forward. "They are continuing on and I came after you. Camp is less than half a day's walk; they'll be fine."

"Hopefully they haven't made it too far that you can't catch up."

"If we must fight about this Faith, I am prepared to do so and believe me when I say the next punch will not be so easy to deliver."

Faith rolled her eyes but turned to gaze at the stone again. She continued to ignore the monkey as it titled its head and stared down at her. "I stumbled across this place last night; it's part of the foot we saw a few days ago."

"Find something interesting?"

"You could say that." She straightened again. "The numbers on this slab have been carved in pretty deeply. There are two sets; one is the same several digits from the hatch at our camp and the one at the Others' site."

"And the other set?"

"14.92.81.10."

Sayid shifted to stand beside her, staring down at the slate as well. "What do they mean? Have you seen them before?"

"You could say that." She hesitated. "You wouldn't happen to know today's date would you?"

He glanced down at his watch. "December fourteenth. Why?"

"You're fucking kidding me."

"Why? What is it?" He watched as she backed away, shaking her head and readjusting her knife in her belt. "Faith, what do the numbers mean? Do you recognize them?"

"I didn't think about it until now but it's an anagram. The numbers have been rearranged; on this island, I can't say I'm surprised." She glanced back at the slate again. "12.14.19.80."

"What's that?"

"December fourteenth, nineteen-eighty." Her eyes met his. "It's my birthday."

&&&&&&&&&&

The beach was crowded with people coming up to greet them as they returned and Faith nodded at each person who smiled or clapped her on the back. She saw Jin and Sun in the background, lifting her hand to wave, before she continued glancing around.

"Faith!"

She turned at the voice and caught sight of Hurley making his way up to her, panting as he hurried with a bag in his hand. "Hey Hugo."

"You… you made it back."

"And so did you it seems."

He nodded and thrust the bag towards her. "They let me go. They took the others but… they let me go and they gave me this. They told me to tell you that you're welcome."

Faith stared down at her bag that had been left behind on the boat. She reached out to take it with a steady hand. "Any idea where they took our guys?"

"They had a dock and a boat and… and no, I don't." He winced and met her eyes. "Sorry. I kinda did that whole running away thing as soon as they let me go."

"You're a smart man. It's okay; don't worry about it. I reckon I'll find out soon enough myself."

"There's something else." Hurley quickly continued, "They let Michael go in the boat they had."

"What do you mean, go?"

"In exchange for our guys… They let him go and he took Walt with him."

For a minute, she did nothing but stare at him until finally she patted him on the shoulder then turned to eye Sayid as he talked quietly to Charlie. "At least someone got a happy ending out of this. We're short a few people; I don't see Locke or Desmond."

"Rose told me they left shortly after you did, after Eko when he ran off into the woods. Nikki and Paulo went with them."

Faith started to nod. "Okay… no, wait." She frowned. "Who the hell are Nikki and Paulo?"

&&&&&&&&&&

"So let me get this straight… While I was gone, the hatch exploded…" Faith glanced between Sayid, Hurley, and Charlie slowly. "Jack, Sawyer and Kate have been taken to where we don't know… and to top things off, Eko freaks out and runs into the woods with Locke, Desmond and these two other random survivors who appeared out of nowhere named Paulo and Nikki chasing him…" She focused on Charlie. "Did I miss anything?"

"You missed that whole Desmond's a prophet now."

"He's a what?"

"You know, a prophet, person who sees things from the future?" Hurley looked at her and Sayid, serious look on his face. "The other day, he predicted this lightning bolt and he built this metal pole and…" He sighed, "And you both think I'm crazy."

"If you're crazy so am I." Faith focused on Sayid, "I think we should-"

"Oh, yeah and Ana-Lucia's awake."

Her head snapped back towards Charlie. "And that wasn't the first thing you decided to tell me?"

"I figured it'd be the first thing you asked me but you didn't. You are after all the only one who seems to be interested in whether she lives or dies." He caught the look on Sayid's face. "What? Don't even act like you do all of the sudden."

"Ana-Lucia has been through quite an ordeal, as we all have, and it's growing dark." Sayid's dark eyes flickered back to Faith. "Perhaps it would be best to wait to see her after food and a good night's rest."

She kept her eyes on Charlie. "Where is she?"

"She's back in her tent. She refused to stay in the hatch after she woke up which I guess is a good thing seeing as how it exploded and all."

"Maybe she's psychic now too."

Charlie saw Faith smirk and he snorted in response as Hurley rolled his eyes playfully.

"I have to agree however." Faith continued, "The whole exploding thing sucks, I enjoyed using a real shower." She sighed and shifted her bag onto her right shoulder. "Fine; I'll wait until tomorrow but I'm going to talk to her first thing before I leave."

"Faith…"

"This isn't up for discussion and that's final Sayid." She turned without another word and the flap of her tent shut behind her.

&&&&&&&&&&

The sun had set and torches were lit up along the beach by the time she finally moved from her spot on her blanket and reached for her bag. With a sigh, Faith rummaged through it and paused only when her hand clasped over something buried deep in the bag. Her hand came back out and she frowned at the sight of the necklace dangling between her fingers.

It was object hanging from the chain that caught her eye. It was small and made of metal, two shiny hexagons positioned together with the letters M and B. She recognized the symbol instantly.

"If you change your mind, you can reach me at this number day or night."

She grabbed the card off the table, frowning as she stared down at it. "Mittelos Bioscience. You a scientist or something?"

"Or something."

Quickly she flipped the charm over to the smooth side, catching sight of the words etched into the metal. Her grip tightened even more on the chain. "Doctor Edward Lehane."

"Faith?"

Reacting immediately, she shoved the necklace back into the bag, zipping it and tossing it to the side seconds before the flap on her tent shifted back. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Are you okay?" Sayid stepped into the tent, a small candle in his hand. "I noticed you weren't around when everyone else was eating."

"I'm not hungry."

He ignored her and extended the item he held in his other hand towards her. "I made you a plate with a few leftovers. There is a collection of things that weren't destroyed in the hatch near the water container that everyone made use of tonight if you would like more."

"Thanks." She took the plate and set it to the side as well. "But I'm really not hungry."

"Faith…"

"What?"

Sayid frowned and sat down slowly beside her on the blanket, his eyes not leaving hers. "Please don't push me away. I only want to help." He reached out and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. "I already lost one person who was important to me because I wouldn't help them; I don't want to lose you as well."

She closed her eyes for a split second before she pushed his hand away from her face. "I'm not weak and I don't need your help."

"While you are definitely not weak Faith, I refuse to let another person go out into the jungle alone. I'm coming with you whether or not you wish it."

"Why?"

"Because I care about what happens to you that is why." His hand found hers on the blanket. "I wish to get our friends back as well but you are my main concern."

"You've seen what I'm capable of; you know what I can do. The only thing that is certain for you if you continue to follow me is death Sayid and the last thing I need on my conscious is more blood."

His smile was small. "I am not weak either Faith. How about we make a deal?"

Faith cursed herself as she felt a small smile echo on her face. "What kind of a deal?"

"I will protect you and you will protect me. That way there is no need to worry."

"You sound awfully confident about that."

"I am positive." Sayid thread their fingers together. "Either way, you are stuck with me."

She chuckled but didn't move her hand. "If I agree… you have to agree to my deal as well."

"And what deal would that be?"

Her eyes caught his in the candle light. "You stay here for the night and I won't leave without you in the morning."

"I might be able to agree to that."

"Might?"

Sayid grinned. "On second thought, that is an excellent idea. However, you are aware I'm getting the better end of the deal are you not?"

"That did enter my mind for a split second." She leaned towards him. "But it's something I'll just have to live with I guess."

"I guess." His eyes drifted to her mouth as she lingered inches away from him. "Faith?"

"Hmmm?"

"Make a wish."

Her eyes glittered in amusement, a smile turning up the corners of her mouth. "Does this mean that you're my present?"

"If that's what you wish."

Her mouth covered his and the flame on the candle went out, the tent instantly enveloped in darkness.

TBC! Please Review.