"We better get going" Hurley exclaimed, pulling the group out of the tense silence they had fallen into.
Juliet had placed a blanket over Tom's dead body, not being able to look at her former friend's corpse a moment longer. Ken was sitting by his sister's side, using some of the seawater to wash away the blood that covered her face from the explosion. Juliet realised for the first time just how similar the siblings looked. It was their eyes. They had the same eyes.
"Kali needs to rest—" Sawyer began, but she was quick to stop him.
"I'm fine" She replied, pushing herself onto shaky legs.
"You just died God knows how many times, you're pretty damn far from fine" Sawyer insisted, but he closed his mouth when she gave him a look.
He knew better than to argue with her, and instead wrapped his arm around her waist, helping her to take a few steps forward, trying to ignore the pained sounds that left her lips every time she moved. Jin was quick to rush to her side, taking her other arm, grimacing at the blood that stained her arms.
"I guess that's my cue then" Ken stated.
"You're leaving?" Juliet frowned.
"I doubt your people are gonna' welcome me with open arms" Ken scoffed, as Kali shook her head.
"No. I need you here. You're...you're supposed to be my brother, isn't that enough reason to stay?" Kali pushed, as Ken's eyes widened a fraction.
"She's right. Strength in numbers and all that. Even if you are a prick" Sawyer added, knowing it was best to keep Kali's brother where he could keep an eye on him.
"He doesn't get a gun" Sayid murmured.
"Well, you'll probably want to confiscate these too then" Ken exclaimed, leaning down to pull a pocketknife from his pocket, and a makeshift shiv from his boot.
"Don't try anything, Ken" Juliet warned, taking the weapons from his hands.
"Would I ever?" Ken grinned, causing Juliet to roll her eyes.
"I'll watch him" Desmond suggested, coming to stand beside the younger man.
"I'm flattered, Des, but you're not really my type" Ken teased, as Juliet handed Desmond a rifle.
"It's Desmond" He muttered, as the group began to walk into the jungle.
"You let my sister call you Des" Ken pouted.
"Well, that's because I actually like her" Desmond huffed, as the pair stayed at the front of the group.
"A little too much, huh?" Ken whispered, in a low tone, as Desmond's forehead wrinkled.
"Keep walking" Desmond spat out, all but nudging him with the butt of his rifle.
"Touched a nerve...I'm pretty good at that" Ken stated, smugly as they disappeared into the jungle.
It didn't take long for the sun to go down, as the group created torches from the branches that littered the ground. It was a cold night, as Kali realised it must have been December by now. Maybe even near Christmas. Would she even make it to the next year? Would any of them? She was so distracted by her thoughts, that she didn't see a branch by her feet, tripping over it, and would have fallen to the ground if Sawyer didn't help steady her.
"You alright, baby?" Sawyer questioned, holding onto her, tight.
"I'm fine" Kali mumbled, as Sawyer let out a long sigh.
"Seems to be your new catchphrase" Sawyer stated, as Kali began to hobble forward, aided by his arm around her.
"I'm not gonna' break if that's what you're worried about" Kali exclaimed.
"Look, I know better than most what happens when you bottle everything up. You get bitter. You get angry" Sawyer went on.
"I just saw my friend die, how I am not supposed to be fucking angry?" Kali scoffed, as Sawyer shook his head.
"I'm just saying, you can let it out, alright? Cry, scream, hell, punch me if you want. Just...talk to me, blue eyes" Sawyer explained, as Kali came to a halt, looking up at him.
Her gaze softened immediately, feeling guilty for snapping at him when she knew he was just trying to help. She had got so good at pushing people away over the years, that it was easy to fall back into the same routine.
"...It was—" Kali began, but a voice cut her off.
"Where's Hurley?" Sayid inquired, having been right ahead of them, his eyes darting around the jungle.
The whole group came to a stop, panic clawing away at them as they realised their friend was nowhere to be found. In fact, it must have been over ten minutes since Kali last saw him. Had the Others got to him?
"Hugo? Hurley!" Sawyer called out, anxiously.
"Did he fall behind?" Bernard suggested, as Kali bit her lip.
"Go back. We need to find him" She told Sawyer, who was clearly reluctant to leave her, his grip still tight on her waist.
"I'll stay here with Kali and Ken" Desmond offered, reaching out to take Kali's arm.
"Anything happens to her—" Sawyer began, but Desmond stopped him with a wave of his hand.
"And I'm dead. I know" Desmond nodded, as he, Sayid and Bernard raced off on the trail they left behind them.
"You should rest" Desmond suggested, as Kali reluctantly nodded, and allowed him to help her slide down a nearby tree and sit down on the forest floor.
"So, do I get my gun back now?" Ken asked Juliet, who gave him a sour look, walking a few metres away, finding Ken followed after her quickly.
"You know, I think your brother likes Juliet" Desmond informed her, sitting down next to Kali.
"Ew. Now, that's an image I didn't need" Kali huffed, earning a chuckle from Desmond.
"...You saved my life today" Desmond exclaimed, as Kali started picking at her nails.
"Couldn't save Charlie though, could I?" Kali sighed, dropping her face into her hands.
"You did everything you could" Desmond insisted.
"It should have been me...everyone keeps dying all around me, and I'm still alive. It's not right" Kali muttered, as Desmond placed his hand on her thigh.
"Well, I for one, am bloody glad you're still here, Kali" Desmond smiled at her.
"Yeah. I'm not...I didn't mean...I'm not gonna' do anything stupid" Kali told him.
"God, it's all just so fucked up. I don't know what I'd have done if James wasn't here" Kali admitted, as Desmond slowly pulled his hand away from her thigh, nodding slowly.
"Well, luckily for you I ain't going anywhere" Sawyer's voice called out, as the group came back into eyesight.
Sawyer's eyes seemed to dart between Kali and Desmond's hand, clearly having seen the man's reaction to her words. He kept his face expressionless, but Desmond still found he couldn't meet Sawyer's eyes. No one else in the group seemed to notice the sudden tension, as Juliet spoke up.
"Did you find anything?" She queried.
"We found his tracks. They stop suddenly not far back. He was headed east" Sayid exclaimed.
"Then that's where we're headed" Kali announced, as everyone couldn't help but agree.
There was no way they were losing anyone else.
A few hours later, the group had found themselves at the tail end of the plane, or what was left of it, and decided to wait there. It was a big landmark, and they hoped Hurley would be able to spot it. Thankfully, they were right, and soon enough their friend came stumbling out of the bushes, as they rushed to greet him.
"Where the hell have you been, Hugo?" Sawyer questioned, not bothering to keep the concern out of his voice.
"Sorry, I was just...I got lost..." Hurley trailed off, as they spotted someone following close behind.
"What are you doing here?" Kali spat out, when Locke's face came into view.
"I came here for the same reason you did, to warn Jack about the people on that boat. I already gave it a shot, but I figured I might have better luck with some support" Locke explained, as Kali continued to glare at him.
"You seriously think anyone is gonna' trust a word that comes out of your mouth?" Kali insisted, as Locke's brow furrowed.
Before he could say anything else, they heard footsteps approaching, and raised their guns. The group let out a collective sigh of relief when they found it was the rest of their group, watching as Sun ran forward to all but jump into Jin's arms. There were smiles on everyone's faces as they reunited with what had become their found family. Everyone apart from Kali and Hurley. The older man took a step forward when he spotted Claire in the crowd, whose eyes were darting around, clearly looking for Charlie. Kali was quick to hold out her hand to stop him. She had been there in Charlie's last moments. It was her responsibility.
"I should tell her" Kali exclaimed, as Hurley nodded.
Confusion was etched over Claire's features as Kali slowly approached her, unable to look into the blonde's eyes. She watched as Claire clutched Aaron a little tighter, still not trusting her former friend. Kali opened her mouth to speak, but found no words came out. How was she supposed to tell Claire the man she loved was dead?
"...I...I'm sorry. Charlie didn't make it. He's gone, Claire" Kali told her, forcing herself to meet Claire's gaze.
"No. No, he can't..." Claire trailed off, shaking her head.
"We tried to get out, I swear. But it was...it was a trap. I couldn't save him" Kali admitted, sucking in a shaky breath.
"You let him die" Claire exclaimed, as Kali's jaw clenched.
"Hey. She did everything she could—" Sawyer interjected, but Claire was quick to stop him.
"Then why is she still here?" Claire spat out, angry tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Because this damn island won't let me die. Because I need to tell you all what really happened down there" Kali explained.
"What do you mean—" Locke's voice was suddenly cut off, as a fist connected with his jaw.
Kali's eyes widened as she watched Locke get thrown to the ground, his attacker coming into view. Kali's eyes went wide as she watched Jack circle him, something dark behind his eyes. Jack's chest heaved as he crouched down to wrestle Locke for his gun, easily winning and cocking the weapon towards Locke's chest. The group stood in silence as they watched their leader's finger itch against the trigger.
"You're not gonna' shoot me, Jack. Any more than I was gonna' shoot you..." Locke trailed off, as Jack suddenly pulled the trigger.
Kali's mouth went slack, not sure how to feel when no bullet hit Locke. The older man himself seemed in a state of shock for a few moments, a hurt expression growing over his features. He hadn't accounted for how desperate Jack was to save them, to protect his people.
"It's not loaded" Locke mumbled.
Jack was on top of him in a split second, hitting him with his fists once again, seeing nothing but red. Sawyer and Sayid raced forward to pull the men apart, knowing if they allowed the fight to continue, everything would fall into chaos.
"Let go of me! He tried to break the phone, he doesn't want any of us to leave this island!" Jack yelled, shoving them away from him.
"All I did, all I have ever done, has been in the best interest of all of us" Locke insisted, pushing himself to his feet.
"Are you insane?" Jack huffed.
"I know I...I have a lot of explaining to do. But, I never did anything to hurt any of you. I even risked my life to tell you there was a traitor in your midst" Locke told them, pointing a finger at Juliet.
"She helped us, John. All you ever did was blow up every chance we had of getting off of this island. How long until the people on the boat ask what happened to their friend?" Jack insisted.
"I covered for us, for now at least. They're on their way" Kate announced, as Kali tensed at the news.
"To kill us. I'm going to the Barracks. The Others abandoned them. It's the only place on the Island with any form of security right now, it'll have to do until I can think of something else. Until then, if you want to live, you need to come with me" Locke warned them.
"No one's going anywhere with you, John" Jack retorted, angrily.
"Then you need to come with me" Kali exclaimed, as all eyes in the group turned to her.
"We stopped the jamming signal. There was an incoming call. From Penny, who those people told us was on the boat. She's not. She doesn't know anything about a boat. They've been lying to us from the start! They want to get to this island, and I'll bet my life, it's not to save any of us" Kali went on.
"It's still our best chance—" Jack began, but she instantly cut him off.
"No! You weren't down there! You didn't...Charlie gave his life to warn you. I did too! If we meet with these people, they will kill us. So, I'm not listening to you, Jack. Not this time" Kali pushed, as Jack hung his head, with a sigh.
She was surprised when Locke came to stand behind her, having agreed with her words. He figured people might not have joined him, but some would join her. Sawyer instantly came to stand beside her too, as she gave him a grateful smile.
"Anyone else?" Locke asked, as people slowly began to move forward, all of them avoiding Jack's gaze.
Claire came to stand beside Locke, still holding Aaron close to her chest, following Charlie rather than anyone else. Alex and her boyfriend were next, nodding to Kali, as she suddenly noticed a familiar face in the crowd. Rousseau had Ben's hands tied up and was quick to drag him forward to join her daughter.
"Jack, with your permission, I'd like to go with Kali" Ben exclaimed.
"He's all yours" Jack mumbled to Kali.
"One foot out of line, and you get a bullet to the head" Kali warned, as Ben raised an eyebrow.
"Not a very warm welcome" Ben scoffed, as Rousseau dragged him forward by the rope.
Kali's eyes then connected with Sayid, who gave her a quick shake of his head, which she had expected. Hell, she was happy about it. Jack would need someone to protect him and those who chose to stay with him. A hand was touching her arm a moment later, as she saw her brother ushering her away from the crowd. He pulled her to the side and didn't speak until they were out of earshot.
"I can't go with you, Kal. If anyone comes to this island, I need to be there" Ken explained, as Kali pursed her lips.
"What happened to sticking together?" Kali retorted.
"I'm doing this for you. To protect you. This island" Ken stated, as her forehead wrinkled.
"...I know. I know there's no cure. That you can't leave this island. So, I'm gonna' make damn sure that it's a safe place for us to live" Ken went on.
"You don't want to leave this place?" Kali asked, as Ken gave her a small smile.
"Bottom line is, I'm not going anywhere without you. So, do me a favour, Sis? Don't get killed" Ken insisted.
"I'll do my best" Kali replied, as he leaned forward to press a quick kiss to her forehead.
"So, what do you say, Jacko? Happy to add another ex-convict to your merry men?" Ken announced, twisting around.
"You killed Naomi. You don't want us to leave the island, so why the hell would I let you come with us?" Jack retorted.
"Guess you're smarter than I thought. Look, if these people are trouble, which FYI, they most certainly are. You're gonna' need someone who has no problem pulling the trigger. Think of me as your own personal guard dog" Ken exclaimed, making Jack scoff.
"I'll keep my eye on him. He's already been my prisoner once" Juliet suggested.
"I never knew you were so kinky, Jules" Ken teased, as he walked over to the blonde.
"Don't make me regret this" She warned, as Ken held his hands up in mock defence.
"I'm going with them too" Desmond announced, as Kali's eyes widened a fraction.
"Des, it's not Penny's boat. You know that" Kali insisted.
"Aye. But it is my only chance to see her again, isn't it?" Desmond pointed out.
"Is she really worth dying for?" Kali sighed, as their eyes connected.
"Yeah. I think she is...besides, who else is gonna' have me?" Desmond shrugged.
"Be careful. Don't you dare die" Kali pushed, as she embraced the older man, whose arms quickly wrapped around her.
"Likewise" He chuckled, squeezing her tight, before pulling away.
She looked at the group who were following Jack, disappointed when she saw Sun dragging Jin away, a guilty expression on his face. Sun would never trust her or Sawyer. And she could never ask Jin to leave his wife. Instead, Kali raised her hand up to wave at her friend, receiving a small smile in response, as Jin waved back at her.
"I'm sorry. About Charlie. About what you had to do to help us—" Jack began, as he approached her.
"Jack, I know we've not always seen eye to eye on things, but please...I'm begging you to listen to me right now. You can't trust those people on the boat" Kali explained, as Jack let out a long sigh.
"What other choice do we have? Stay here for the rest of our lives?" Jack questioned.
"It's gonna' go wrong. It's all gonna' wrong" She insisted, knowing in her gut that she was right.
"...Stay safe. And keep your walkie-talkie on. Cause' I'm not leaving this island without you" Jack told her, as she bit her inner cheek.
"Will do, Doc" She said, forcing a smile onto her face, as rain began pouring down from above.
Kali couldn't breathe. She couldn't even see. There was only blackness all around her, seeping inside her until it felt like her head would explode. Whispers filled her mind, hundreds of different voices all shouting at her at once. She tried to open her mouth to suck in the air, but all that came out was a sharp scream. She had never felt so scared, so lost, and then...
She woke up.
A hand was shaking her shoulder, causing her eyes to snap open, finding Sawyer staring down at her, as she trembled underneath his hand. It had just been a dream. A fucked up, nightmare. She pushed herself into a sitting position, her wet clothes plastered against her skin, as the rain continued to soak them. Sawyer wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to his chest, instantly warming her up, his hand rubbing soothing circles against her arm.
"It's been a while since you've had a nightmare that bad" Sawyer mumbled.
"Was I screaming?" She asked, groaning when she received a nod from the blond.
"Everyone must be so glad they agreed to join someone who can't even sleep through the night" Kali sighed, leaning her head against his chest, relaxed by the steady rise and fall of his breathing.
"They know you'll help keep them alive" Sawyer replied, as she pursed her lips.
"I've not been much good at that recently" She exclaimed, as Sawyer pulled back, hooking his finger under her chin to force her to look at him.
"We'd all be dead without you, blue eyes. Don't you dare go forgetting that" Sawyer insisted.
She slowly nodded, before leaning up to press a chaste kiss to his lips, as he moved his hand to the nape of her neck, pulling her in closer. Even after they broke the kiss, the pair stayed where they were, foreheads resting against each other, calmed by each other's presence.
"Get a room you two" Hurley yawned, from a few metres away, as Sawyer flipped him the middle finger in response, with a sardonic grin.
"We should get going. We have a lot of ground to cover" Locke announced, walking off in an easterly direction, as the other survivors began to wake up.
"Why are you going East? The Barracks are due South" Sawyer frowned, pushing himself to his feet.
"Because, James, we have to make a little detour first...there's a cabin I have to go to" Locke informed them, as Sawyer held his hand out to Kali and easily pulled her up.
"I thought the cabin was back that way" Hurley exclaimed, pointing to the west.
"What did you say, Hugo?" Locke asked, with narrowed eyes.
"I, er, thought you were talking about the aeroplane cabin" Hurley lied, as Kali gave him a strange look.
"Alright, what's going on? What's so important about some shack?" Kali questioned.
"We're supposed to go there" Locke answered, as Kali gave him a look of disbelief.
"Really? And who told you that?" Kali scoffed.
"...Walt" Locke told her, causing Kali's mouth to go slack, as Locke began walking away from them.
"What the hell do you mean you saw Walt? In a dream?" Sawyer called out to him, as the group rushed to keep up with the older man.
"No dream, it was Walt. Only, taller" Locke stated, as Kali ran a hand over her face.
"Great. You've completely lost it. I'll just add that to our growing list of problems" Kali huffed.
"He said I had work to do. That I had to stop Jack from bringing Naomi's people here" Locke went on.
"What, you didn't ask any follow-up questions?" Sawyer pushed, finding the whole thing ridiculous.
"Ben had shot me and left me for dead. Walt saved my life, so I pretty much took him at his word" Locke admitted, as Kali's brow furrowed in confusion.
"He shot you? Yet here you are fit as a fiddle tromping through the jungle..." Sawyer trailed off, as Locke pulled his shirt up, revealing a bullet wound through his abdomen.
"The bullet went in one side, came out the other. I'd probably be dead if I still had a kidney there" Locke explained, as Kali reached out to touch the wound, finding it already appeared to be healing.
"You should be dead" She exclaimed.
"I told you, Walt saved—" Locke began, but she cut him off.
"No. The blood loss alone should have killed you. Or an infection. You sure as hell shouldn't be walking around like you've got a papercut" Kali went on, as Locke pulled his shirt down.
"The island isn't done with me yet" Locke suggested, as Kali shook her head.
"How sure are you that what you saw was Walt?" Kali pushed, as Locke tilted his head.
"What else would it be?" Locke questioned, as Kali pursed her lips.
"...Let's hope we don't find out" Kali replied.
"First thing I do when we get to the barracks is take a three-hour long shower" Kali mumbled.
They had stopped by a stream, filling up their water bottles and wiping away the dirt and the sweat that clung to their bodies from the day of trampling through the jungle. Kali rubbed a wet cloth over her neck, grimacing as the water connected with the cuts and bruises that covered her body. She had no plans to look in the mirror for some time.
"Maybe I'll join you" Sawyer smirked, making her giggle.
"At least take me on a date first" She teased, nudging his shoulder.
"Well, when we get to the barracks maybe I will. I'll break out the tinned sardines and everything" Sawyer teased, as Kali made a gagging sound.
"You really know how to treat a girl, dimples" Kali grinned.
Raised voices from further up the stream had the pair twisting around, finding Karl and Ben arguing, resulting in the teenager pulling his gun out of the waistband of his jeans. Things were about to turn ugly.
"I've got it" Sawyer announced, seeing how Kali went to push herself to her feet.
"Easy, kid, guy's just trying to get in your head. Go take a walk or something" Sawyer advised, strolling up to where Ben was tied up against a large tree.
Karl let out an irritated huff but did as he was asked, grabbing Alex's hand and dragging her away with him. Kali waved the two teenagers to sit next to her, wanting them as far away from Ben as possible. She felt sorry for them, especially Alex. She knew all too well what it was like to have a psychopath in the family.
"Mind if I ask you a question, James?" Ben suggested, as Sawyer began untying the rope around the tree.
"Yeah, I do" Sawyer muttered.
"Did you ask Desmond to leave?" Ben asked, as Sawyer gave him a look of confusion.
"I know it's not pleasant, but, let's face it, we both know the truth..." Ben trailed off, as Sawyer tugged on the rope and hauled Ben onto his feet.
"What truth?" Sawyer exclaimed.
"James. Look at yourself. Yes, on this Island you're brave, daring, handsome, you're someone, but if you left with them, back in the real-world a low-life scam artist like you could never compete with...well, anyone. You'll show your true colours eventually, and a better man, we'll be there to pick up the pieces. In the end, you lose Kali. Thank God she'll have Desmond to comfort her—" Ben was suddenly cut off as Sawyer kneed him in the crotch.
He then kicked him squarely in the chest, throwing the older man to the ground, before jumping on top of him, his fists flying in anger. Kali's head shot up just in time to see Sawyer send a hard punch to Ben's nose, which began bleeding profusely. He didn't look like he planned to stop anytime soon, continuing to pummel the man's face.
"James! Don't!" Locke called out.
"Don't what?! Anyone want to tell me why we're keeping this guy alive?" Sawyer yelled, his hands balled into fists.
"We're keeping him alive because he's been on this Island a lot longer than any of us. Because he has information we need. And because apart from his mouth, he's completely harmless" Locke explained, as Sawyer shook his head vehemently.
"His mouth put that hole in your gut?" Sawyer seethed, as Kali came to stand in between the two men.
"James. We can't just kill him. What about Alex?" Kali insisted, as Sawyer's eyes flickered over to the teenage girl, hating the look of fear in her eyes.
"It's only a matter of time before he gets us, Johnny, and I bet he's already figured out how he's gonna' do it" Sawyer warned, throwing the rope tied to his wrists to the ground, and storming off into the jungle.
"You know, you've always been somewhat of an enigma to me, Kali" Ben told her, as she led him through the jungle at the back of the group.
She might have been injured, but Ben knew better than to try to escape her. Her own gun was gripped tightly in one hand, and the rope that bound him in the other. If he even walked too slowly, he had no doubt she would shoot him in the arm. Of course, that didn't mean he wouldn't use his words to hurt her instead.
"Yep, that's me," Kali said, in a dismissive tone.
"Why would someone like you choose to be a nurse? It's almost ironic, don't you think?" Ben went on, earning nothing but a hum in response.
"You tried so hard to get back home in the beginning which I found strange. I mean, you have no one. No family, no friends. Nothing. Did you just want to get back to the hospital? Get back to fixing things?" Ben goaded, seeing how Kali's shoulders had tensed.
"It's worse than that though, isn't it? I bet you were a great student. More than happy to let the job consume you. It made you feel alive, right? Saving people? Maybe even made you feel like less of a monster—" Ben began, but Kali was quick to cut him off.
"The only monster here is you, Ben. You want to talk about how lonely I am? How about you, huh? The only person who ever loved you was your daughter and she can't even bear to look at you now" Kali retorted, twisting around to face him.
"You'll never have that, you know? Kids, I mean. A life. You'll die on this island. Soon" Ben warned her, as she suddenly pulled a knife out of her pocket, as he went still.
He frowned as he watched her cut off an end of the rope, having half expected to receive a knife to the gut. He opened his mouth to ask what she was doing, but he never had the chance, as Kali gagged him with the line of rope, tying it around the back of his head.
"There. That's much better" Kali smirked.
The group came to a halt a moment later when they heard a large splash to their right, followed by what almost sounded like...laughter? As the group silently went to follow the sound, they were shocked to find a redhead splashing around in a nearby pond, a parachute hanging above her. Kali gripped her gun a little tighter, tensing as the woman finally spotted them.
"Hi" She greeted, a little unsurely.
"Hi yourself" Locke retorted, eyes narrowed.
Kali had made a few observations about the stranger who claimed she was there to save them. One, she was English. Two, she seemed nervous about something. And three, Kali didn't trust her one inch. Her brother's words echoed through her mind, causing her finger to itch against the trigger of her gun. Was she meant to kill the woman in front of her?
"I can't believe you're alive. How many of you are there?" She questioned.
"Why do you wanna know?" Hurley asked.
"Why wouldn't I want to know?" She said, with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Forty-eight—" Hurley began, but Kali stopped him with a wave of his hand.
"Why don't you start off by telling us your name?" Kali insisted.
"Charlotte. Charlotte Lewis" The redhead replied, as Kali started circling her.
"And what do you do, Charlotte?" Kali inquired.
"I'm an anthropologist" Charlotte answered, as Kali pursed her lips, nodding slowly.
"Right. Right...yeah, I have no idea what that is" Kali stated, earning a smirk from the older woman.
"I study the origin, development and behaviour of humans" Charlotte explained.
"So, what is our behaviour telling you right now?" Kali asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Well, you don't exactly seem happy to see me" Charlotte scoffed.
"Honestly, I've about a million more questions I want to ask you, but they can wait until we get you back to the freighter. We all got one of these transponders, so if we just sit tight, they're gonna' be here soon, okay?" Charlotte told her, holding up a blinking object in her hand.
"This team of yours, how many of you are there?" Locke asked.
"Four, including me" Charlotte answered.
"And what happened to your helicopter?" Locke pushed, the distrust clear in his tone.
"I don't know. I had to jump, it was chaos. I'm lucky to be alive" Charlotte huffed, evading the question.
"Get up, you're coming with us" Locke told her, as her forehead wrinkled.
"What? We need to stay where we are so they can find us" Charlotte pointed out, as Kali and Locke turned to each other.
"See, there's your problem. We don't want to be found" Locke admitted, as Charlotte's mouth went slack.
Meanwhile, the rest of the survivors who had sided with Jack had made their way back to the beach. At some point during the trek, Jack and Kate had separated from them, and now the next day, they were still nowhere to be seen. Anything could have happened to them. Juliet was looking out at the ocean when she felt the sand beside her shift, looking up to see Ken kneeling down beside her.
"Hoping if you stare long enough a freighter will magically appear?" Ken asked, as Juliet quirked an eyebrow.
"A little positivity never hurt anyone" She mumbled.
"Yeah, until the people from the boat arrive and slaughter us all. I think that might hurt just a bit" Ken suggested, pulling his knees up to his chest.
"Why are you so convinced these people mean to do us harm?" Juliet asked.
"Honestly?" Ken questioned, as Juliet nodded.
"It's not the people I'm worried about. Dying is one thing. It's everything else..." Ken trailed off, as Juliet's brow furrowed.
"How ominous" Juliet stated, as a smirk grew on Ken's lips.
"I was aiming for mysterious" Ken scoffed.
"I'm serious, Ken. What do you know? How much danger are we really in?" Juliet pushed, as he turned to look at her.
"End of the world kinda' trouble" Ken admitted.
"Because of these strangers coming here?" Juliet huffed, in disbelief.
"No. It's not the coming here that's the problem. It's the leaving" Ken explained.
"I don't understand—" Juliet began, but Ken cut her off.
"They're gonna' kill me, Juliet. One of the people coming here. So, I have to kill them first" Ken announced.
Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I've made my story outline for this season and it's going to have a very explosive finale! Who's going to get off the island, and who will get left behind? Please leave a review:)
Guest: Thank you so much for this review, it was so nice to read! The last episode was definitely one of my favourites, I'm glad you're liking Kali's character development. I reckon this season is going to be just as emotional!
Guest: Aw, thank you! I'm glad my writing could make an impression on you:)
scripturient3201: You haven't seen anything yet, trust me! The next few seasons are going to put Kali in some pretty tricky situations. Thanks for reviewing:)
Guest: Thank you! I hope you like the new chapter:)