Tracker, Chapter 10 (Skate, Others)
Title: Tracker, Chapter 10
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Skate, Jana, others
Disclaimer: I don't own LOST
Summary: Set during S2, immediately post-WKD, Kate, Sawyer and several other characters go off into the jungle after Michael, learning secrets of the Island along the way.
Spoilers: Season 2
A/N: Tracker is an extremely lengthy, multi-chapter fanfic that I wrote during Season Two. I plan on posting a couple of chapters a day if I can, so please check back! By the way, blame kirvash if you get hooked on it. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 10
Afternoon sun streamed through the canopy, scattering dappled beams across the jungle floor and it was strangely quiet; the chirping of the birds was muted and the buzz of insects droned as if from faraway. He was walking through a glade of marshy ground, with waist high grasses and muddy wallows and his arms were out, skimming the tops of the grass with his hands; the touch of them on his bare hands sent sparks shooting through him like fireworks. His senses were alive, he could see; the island was showing him the way.
The Black Cloud had changed him; he was no longer the same Eko. He had the same memories and the same history; but none of those mattered because they belonged to another world, the outside world. The Island had given him a new life and closure on his old one and as he felt Yemi's crucifix beneath his shirt he smiled; for so many years he had searched for his brother, his only reason for living to find him and make amends and now that was done. He was at peace.
Now he was going to catch up to the others. He didn't know how to track; Locke had shown him some basics yesterday but that didn't matter; the trail was showing itself to him as he looked ahead at the ground. His hands and feet were conduits; he felt like he was getting shocked with every footfall and touch of the grass. It started to rain.
The track split in front of him and he stared at the prints steadily as the island whispered in his ear. He smiled, then it faded; what was the Cowboy doing back out here? And the girl? He looked askance at the other track, Ana and her group didn't need him. The Cowboy would.
He started following Sawyer's trail; Kate's footprints overlapped his, and Eko smiled. He liked the Cowboy; he had stones, and Eko could appreciate that kind of fearlessness. He saw something like that in Kate, too; she had a tough, resilient streak in her, though he sensed beneath that a coldness, a desperation. She was...hard to read. Eko smiled again. Unless they are together, he thought. Then they are like flowers in bloom; opening and turning their faces to the light.
The path stretched on, illuminated before him. He touched Yemi's crucifix again, gently. Twice already he had carried Sawyer to safety; and he would be called upon to do so again; apparently the Cowboy was going to be his cross to bear.
* * * * *
Kate moved quickly through the brush and only part of her haste was fear, she was worried about Sawyer being alone out here. A slideshow of horrible possibilities kept flashing through her head, spurring her to go faster but a part of her was excited; she missed the thrill of the chase, the adrenalin rush she got when the Marshal was hot on her heels. Only this time she was the hunter, the tracker; it was a new perspective on things and she thought about the Marshal with a pang, wondering if he'd felt this rush when he was after her.
Sawyer didn't appear to be moving with any real speed and Kate grinned and picked up her pace. She was hungry to see him; they'd been together so much it was like half of her was gone. Sighing to herself, she wondered idly if Jack and Locke had caught up to Michael and Jin; she hoped so, for Sun's sake more than Michael's; he hadn't spoken to her and she was a little irritated by it.
Jack. A stab of guilt lanced through her gut, leaving her breathless for a second. She hadn't been completely honest with him, in the glade. She could have loved him; she did love him, in a way that she couldn't define. If there had never been a Sawyer, she could have loved Jack, learned to live with his view of her, learned to be happy. But there was a Sawyer; and what she would have with Jack would never compare to what she could have with him.
A hand snaked out from behind a large tree and snagged her around the waist and as she felt herself get lifted from behind she reacted instinctively, slamming her foot down hard. Her attacker grunted and let go of her and she threw her elbow back and as it connected with something soft and yielding she spun around ready to finish the job. Her jaw dropped.
"Dammit, Freckles," Sawyer was bent double, holding his abdomen. "What was that for?"
She relaxed, dropping her defensive stance and crossing her arms. "What the hell did you think you were doing?"
He looked up at her through a fringe of shaggy hair. "I was tryin' to surprise you!"
She laughed, and went to him. "Well, it worked." He straightened, still clutching his belly and glared at her. "Let me check your shoulder. Are you okay?"
He rolled his head at her. "Other than the elbow stickin' out of my breadbasket, yeah, I'm fine." He didn't object, though, as she unbuttoned his shirt to check on his wound.
"Stop being such a baby, Sawyer. It wasn't that hard." Satisfied that the shoulder hadn't started bleeding again, Kate started rebuttoning it and his glare faded as he watched her busy fingers then he grabbed her hand, stopping it. "That's twice you've elbowed me, Freckles," he growled into her ear as he held her hands cupped against his chest. "Remember the first time?" She nodded, speechless at the feel of him, his breath in her ear. He caught her mouth with his, gently and they stood together, touching only hands and lips.
Sawyer broke it off and looked deep into her eyes. "What?" he asked her softly. "Not gonna slug me this time?" She rolled her eyes and shoved him away, playfully. "Hey," he cried in mock pain, "Watch the shoulder!" He shoved her back.
Kate played offended. "Oh, no, youre gonna push me?" she laughed, and lightly punched his good arm.
"Oh yeah?" He reached around her defending hands and grabbed the spot on her side right below her ribs that he knew was ticklish and she squealed and leapt aside nimbly, evading his grabbing fingers. "No fair Freckles, I only got one arm!"
Laughing and eyeing his reaching hands warily, Kate grinned at him wickedly. "I thought you only needed one arm, Cowboy." she teased.
He rolled his eyes, remembering his talk with Ana-Lucia. "Well that was meant for her, sweetheart," he said, gazing pointedly at her chest. "You're a little more of a handful."
She burst out laughing. "You are such a pig."
He was grinning at her, about to say something funny when he caught a flash out of the corner of his eye and as they widened Kate followed his gaze, suddenly frightened. A small cylinder of black smoke was flitting away through the trees.
"Run, Sawyer!" Kate screamed, and she pushed him, galvanizing him into action as it started to rain; water poured from the sky in sheets, drenching them in seconds. The clanking roar of the monster reverberated behind them and they scrambled frantically through the brush, sliding and slipping in the muck; Kate finally grabbed his arm and jerked him into a stand of trees, where they stood huddled together, shaking.
It felt like an hour. Sawyer clutched Kate to him, his eyes closed against her neck; her arms were tight around him, her fingers digging into his back and he could feel her ragged, terrified breath; slowly the echoing roars faded away. They didn't move.
He couldn't let her go. This was only his second real run in with the monster other than hearing it in the distance; he'd heard about it, and of course, there was yesterday in the jungle, but for the first time he appreciated the danger he was putting Kate into by letting her come on this crazy quest with him. But she won't go back without me, he thought, filling with - happiness? was that what he was feeling? It was so alien and foreign to him he couldn't be sure, but it was close enough. He smiled against her shoulder. "I'm really startin' to hate that thing."
Kate let out a laugh- or it could have been a sob, Sawyer wasn't sure- and relaxed her grip on him, leaning against him in silent relief. "Me too."
They leaned on each other a few more seconds, then Sawyer sighed and let go of her, backing away. "We'd better go."
Kate sighed, steeling herself. "I've been meaning to ask you about that, Sawyer. Just where exactly are we going?"
He looked at her like she was slow. "After Mike and Walt, darlin', haven't we been over this?" He walked out of the grove and started walking in the rain.
"Well, would you mind telling me how we're going to do that?" she called after him. "We don't know where they are."
He stopped and glared at her. "I'm figurin' that out as I go sweetcheeks. And it ain't we. Me. You're goin' back." He turned away and kept walking.
She snorted at him. "So what are you gonna do? Wander aimlessly around the island until you run into Walt?" She caught up to him, trying to reason with him. "Or Michael? Or another polar bear? Of course, that's assuming you don't get eaten first." She paused and grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Sawyer, what's going on?"
He didn't answer for a second. His need to atone went way beyond Michael and Walt, it included Frank Duckett, and all of the people he swindled and himself, he owed it to himself for going down the paths that he did. By saving Walt he saved Michael, by saving Michael he saved himself. But he couldn't explain that to her, he couldn't be that...open. Not yet. "It's just something I gotta do."
"Why?"
"Because I do. Stop buggin' me!" He snapped at her angrily.
"I'm just trying to understand, don't bite my head off," she retorted, her temper flaring. Why did he have to be so difficult? "Why do you need to do this so bad?"
He stopped, furious. "Fine, you wanna know, shortcake? It's my fault, and I gotta do something about it. I made Mike fire the flare. I led them to us. It's my fault." He cocked his eyes angrily at her. "Satisfied?"
She considered him a minute. That made sense- well, not really, but for Sawyer it kind of did. He was still glaring at her, waiting for her to tell him he was crazy, to get over it, but instead she gave him a nod and said. "Okay."
He was thrown by that. "Okay?" He looked at her questioningly.
"Okay, I get it." she smiled. "But I'm not going back. And you really can't make me, so I'm afraid you're stuck with me for now. And-" she cut off his protestation," you're going to take it easy until the shoulder is a little better. If you die out here I can't carry you back."
"Funny," he sneered. "Fine. Have it your own way." The rain suddenly stopped.
Kate stood, her hand still on his arm. The sun was already glaring down again, turning the rain into steam and she looked up at him, the light shining off of the raindrops caught in her soaking hair; they glimmered from her eyelashes like jewels as she looked into his eyes and flashed him that dazzling smile, the one that made his knees weak. She leaned up and pecked him on the cheek. "I usually do," she laughed, and took his hand. "Come on. Let's go."
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Skate, Jana, others
Disclaimer: I don't own LOST
Summary: Set during S2, immediately post-WKD, Kate, Sawyer and several other characters go off into the jungle after Michael, learning secrets of the Island along the way.
Spoilers: Season 2
A/N: Tracker is an extremely lengthy, multi-chapter fanfic that I wrote during Season Two. I plan on posting a couple of chapters a day if I can, so please check back! By the way, blame kirvash if you get hooked on it. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 10
Afternoon sun streamed through the canopy, scattering dappled beams across the jungle floor and it was strangely quiet; the chirping of the birds was muted and the buzz of insects droned as if from faraway. He was walking through a glade of marshy ground, with waist high grasses and muddy wallows and his arms were out, skimming the tops of the grass with his hands; the touch of them on his bare hands sent sparks shooting through him like fireworks. His senses were alive, he could see; the island was showing him the way.
The Black Cloud had changed him; he was no longer the same Eko. He had the same memories and the same history; but none of those mattered because they belonged to another world, the outside world. The Island had given him a new life and closure on his old one and as he felt Yemi's crucifix beneath his shirt he smiled; for so many years he had searched for his brother, his only reason for living to find him and make amends and now that was done. He was at peace.
Now he was going to catch up to the others. He didn't know how to track; Locke had shown him some basics yesterday but that didn't matter; the trail was showing itself to him as he looked ahead at the ground. His hands and feet were conduits; he felt like he was getting shocked with every footfall and touch of the grass. It started to rain.
The track split in front of him and he stared at the prints steadily as the island whispered in his ear. He smiled, then it faded; what was the Cowboy doing back out here? And the girl? He looked askance at the other track, Ana and her group didn't need him. The Cowboy would.
He started following Sawyer's trail; Kate's footprints overlapped his, and Eko smiled. He liked the Cowboy; he had stones, and Eko could appreciate that kind of fearlessness. He saw something like that in Kate, too; she had a tough, resilient streak in her, though he sensed beneath that a coldness, a desperation. She was...hard to read. Eko smiled again. Unless they are together, he thought. Then they are like flowers in bloom; opening and turning their faces to the light.
The path stretched on, illuminated before him. He touched Yemi's crucifix again, gently. Twice already he had carried Sawyer to safety; and he would be called upon to do so again; apparently the Cowboy was going to be his cross to bear.
* * * * *
Kate moved quickly through the brush and only part of her haste was fear, she was worried about Sawyer being alone out here. A slideshow of horrible possibilities kept flashing through her head, spurring her to go faster but a part of her was excited; she missed the thrill of the chase, the adrenalin rush she got when the Marshal was hot on her heels. Only this time she was the hunter, the tracker; it was a new perspective on things and she thought about the Marshal with a pang, wondering if he'd felt this rush when he was after her.
Sawyer didn't appear to be moving with any real speed and Kate grinned and picked up her pace. She was hungry to see him; they'd been together so much it was like half of her was gone. Sighing to herself, she wondered idly if Jack and Locke had caught up to Michael and Jin; she hoped so, for Sun's sake more than Michael's; he hadn't spoken to her and she was a little irritated by it.
Jack. A stab of guilt lanced through her gut, leaving her breathless for a second. She hadn't been completely honest with him, in the glade. She could have loved him; she did love him, in a way that she couldn't define. If there had never been a Sawyer, she could have loved Jack, learned to live with his view of her, learned to be happy. But there was a Sawyer; and what she would have with Jack would never compare to what she could have with him.
A hand snaked out from behind a large tree and snagged her around the waist and as she felt herself get lifted from behind she reacted instinctively, slamming her foot down hard. Her attacker grunted and let go of her and she threw her elbow back and as it connected with something soft and yielding she spun around ready to finish the job. Her jaw dropped.
"Dammit, Freckles," Sawyer was bent double, holding his abdomen. "What was that for?"
She relaxed, dropping her defensive stance and crossing her arms. "What the hell did you think you were doing?"
He looked up at her through a fringe of shaggy hair. "I was tryin' to surprise you!"
She laughed, and went to him. "Well, it worked." He straightened, still clutching his belly and glared at her. "Let me check your shoulder. Are you okay?"
He rolled his head at her. "Other than the elbow stickin' out of my breadbasket, yeah, I'm fine." He didn't object, though, as she unbuttoned his shirt to check on his wound.
"Stop being such a baby, Sawyer. It wasn't that hard." Satisfied that the shoulder hadn't started bleeding again, Kate started rebuttoning it and his glare faded as he watched her busy fingers then he grabbed her hand, stopping it. "That's twice you've elbowed me, Freckles," he growled into her ear as he held her hands cupped against his chest. "Remember the first time?" She nodded, speechless at the feel of him, his breath in her ear. He caught her mouth with his, gently and they stood together, touching only hands and lips.
Sawyer broke it off and looked deep into her eyes. "What?" he asked her softly. "Not gonna slug me this time?" She rolled her eyes and shoved him away, playfully. "Hey," he cried in mock pain, "Watch the shoulder!" He shoved her back.
Kate played offended. "Oh, no, youre gonna push me?" she laughed, and lightly punched his good arm.
"Oh yeah?" He reached around her defending hands and grabbed the spot on her side right below her ribs that he knew was ticklish and she squealed and leapt aside nimbly, evading his grabbing fingers. "No fair Freckles, I only got one arm!"
Laughing and eyeing his reaching hands warily, Kate grinned at him wickedly. "I thought you only needed one arm, Cowboy." she teased.
He rolled his eyes, remembering his talk with Ana-Lucia. "Well that was meant for her, sweetheart," he said, gazing pointedly at her chest. "You're a little more of a handful."
She burst out laughing. "You are such a pig."
He was grinning at her, about to say something funny when he caught a flash out of the corner of his eye and as they widened Kate followed his gaze, suddenly frightened. A small cylinder of black smoke was flitting away through the trees.
"Run, Sawyer!" Kate screamed, and she pushed him, galvanizing him into action as it started to rain; water poured from the sky in sheets, drenching them in seconds. The clanking roar of the monster reverberated behind them and they scrambled frantically through the brush, sliding and slipping in the muck; Kate finally grabbed his arm and jerked him into a stand of trees, where they stood huddled together, shaking.
It felt like an hour. Sawyer clutched Kate to him, his eyes closed against her neck; her arms were tight around him, her fingers digging into his back and he could feel her ragged, terrified breath; slowly the echoing roars faded away. They didn't move.
He couldn't let her go. This was only his second real run in with the monster other than hearing it in the distance; he'd heard about it, and of course, there was yesterday in the jungle, but for the first time he appreciated the danger he was putting Kate into by letting her come on this crazy quest with him. But she won't go back without me, he thought, filling with - happiness? was that what he was feeling? It was so alien and foreign to him he couldn't be sure, but it was close enough. He smiled against her shoulder. "I'm really startin' to hate that thing."
Kate let out a laugh- or it could have been a sob, Sawyer wasn't sure- and relaxed her grip on him, leaning against him in silent relief. "Me too."
They leaned on each other a few more seconds, then Sawyer sighed and let go of her, backing away. "We'd better go."
Kate sighed, steeling herself. "I've been meaning to ask you about that, Sawyer. Just where exactly are we going?"
He looked at her like she was slow. "After Mike and Walt, darlin', haven't we been over this?" He walked out of the grove and started walking in the rain.
"Well, would you mind telling me how we're going to do that?" she called after him. "We don't know where they are."
He stopped and glared at her. "I'm figurin' that out as I go sweetcheeks. And it ain't we. Me. You're goin' back." He turned away and kept walking.
She snorted at him. "So what are you gonna do? Wander aimlessly around the island until you run into Walt?" She caught up to him, trying to reason with him. "Or Michael? Or another polar bear? Of course, that's assuming you don't get eaten first." She paused and grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Sawyer, what's going on?"
He didn't answer for a second. His need to atone went way beyond Michael and Walt, it included Frank Duckett, and all of the people he swindled and himself, he owed it to himself for going down the paths that he did. By saving Walt he saved Michael, by saving Michael he saved himself. But he couldn't explain that to her, he couldn't be that...open. Not yet. "It's just something I gotta do."
"Why?"
"Because I do. Stop buggin' me!" He snapped at her angrily.
"I'm just trying to understand, don't bite my head off," she retorted, her temper flaring. Why did he have to be so difficult? "Why do you need to do this so bad?"
He stopped, furious. "Fine, you wanna know, shortcake? It's my fault, and I gotta do something about it. I made Mike fire the flare. I led them to us. It's my fault." He cocked his eyes angrily at her. "Satisfied?"
She considered him a minute. That made sense- well, not really, but for Sawyer it kind of did. He was still glaring at her, waiting for her to tell him he was crazy, to get over it, but instead she gave him a nod and said. "Okay."
He was thrown by that. "Okay?" He looked at her questioningly.
"Okay, I get it." she smiled. "But I'm not going back. And you really can't make me, so I'm afraid you're stuck with me for now. And-" she cut off his protestation," you're going to take it easy until the shoulder is a little better. If you die out here I can't carry you back."
"Funny," he sneered. "Fine. Have it your own way." The rain suddenly stopped.
Kate stood, her hand still on his arm. The sun was already glaring down again, turning the rain into steam and she looked up at him, the light shining off of the raindrops caught in her soaking hair; they glimmered from her eyelashes like jewels as she looked into his eyes and flashed him that dazzling smile, the one that made his knees weak. She leaned up and pecked him on the cheek. "I usually do," she laughed, and took his hand. "Come on. Let's go."